Montgomery County Paternity Attorneys

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 4, 2026

Montgomery County, Ohio · Dayton

Paternity (parentage) cases for never-married parents are filed at the Montgomery County Juvenile Court, 380 West Second Street. Establishing legal fatherhood under R.C. 3111 is the gateway to custody, parenting time, and child support. The Juvenile Court's Citizen Services provides free pro se packets, and genetic testing is available when parentage is disputed.

Hire Gavvl for your Montgomery County paternity case

Flat-fee and full-representation options: we handle the filings, the Montgomery County local forms, the court strategy, and the hearings — and you know the price before we start.

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How do I establish paternity in Montgomery County, Ohio?

File the Establish Parentage / Paternity Packet at the Montgomery County Juvenile Court, 380 West Second Street, Dayton, OH 45422. Citizen Services, (937) 224-3977, provides the pro se packet for free. The court can order genetic testing if parentage is disputed. Once paternity is established, the same case can allocate custody and parenting time and set child support through the Montgomery County CSEA.

Montgomery County paternity, handled at the Juvenile Court on West Second Street

Parentage cases for never-married parents run through the Montgomery County Juvenile Court at 380 West Second Street — a separate downtown Dayton building from the Domestic Relations Court. Establishing legal fatherhood under R.C. 3111 is what unlocks custody, parenting time, and child support, and disputes are settled with court-ordered genetic testing. Gavvl Law files the right packet, manages the testing, and builds custody and support onto the same case, on a flat fee approved up front.

The right packet — establish or disestablish. The Juvenile Court publishes separate Establish Parentage and Disestablish Paternity packets, and choosing wrong wastes a filing. We confirm which one fits, and for a challenge to an existing Acknowledgment of Paternity we watch the rescission deadlines before anything is filed.
Genetic testing, managed end to end. When parentage is disputed, the court or CSEA orders the parties and child to a designated lab, with results running 99% or better. We line up the testing, read the results, and move straight to establishing fatherhood or dismissing the case so the birth record can be corrected.
Custody and support on the same case. Once fatherhood is established the same juvenile case can allocate parental rights and set support. We open the IV-D case with Montgomery County CSEA at 1111 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd. and run the Ohio Income Shares worksheet so parenting time and child support are decided together, not in a second filing.

The Juvenile Court's Citizen Services at (937) 224-3977 gives self-represented parents free packets and notary help — walk-in Monday and Tuesday, by appointment the rest of the week — but it cannot give legal advice or argue a contested paternity dispute. We handle the genetic-testing fight and the custody and support that follow, so you are represented where it actually counts.

Flat-fee options

Flat-fee limited scope: we draft and file the parentage complaint to establish legal paternity — adding custody and parenting time if you need it. You appear at any hearings yourself.

Establish paternity (parentage complaint): $950
Paternity with custody & parenting time: $1,350

Prefer full representation? An Ohio attorney can carry the entire case on a $3,500 retainer.

Split any flat fee with Gavvl Direct — our in-house plan at 19% APR, $500 minimum — on a 60%-down schedule of 18 weekly, 8 bi-weekly, or 4 monthly payments, or full financing where work begins once 60% is paid. Affirm, Klarna, and PayPal Pay Later are also available through LawPay.

Start your paternity case or see payment plans & financing.

Ohio Custody by the Numbers

Best interest The single standard that governs every Ohio custody decision Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3109.04
No set age There is no age a child can choose a parent — the judge weighs a mature child's wishes Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3109.04(B)
Change in circumstances Required, plus a best-interest finding, before the residential parent can be changed Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3109.04(E)(1)
Shared parenting Either parent may ask the court for a joint parenting plan Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3109.04(G)

Compare Types of Custody in Ohio

Custody type	Who makes major decisions	Where the child lives	Best when
Shared parenting	Both parents jointly, under a written plan	Time is split per the plan (not always 50/50)	Parents can communicate and cooperate on decisions
Sole legal & residential	One parent	Primarily with that parent	One parent is unable or unwilling to co-parent
Split custody	Each parent for the child in their care	Siblings are divided between the two homes	Rare — only when it serves each child's best interest
Legal custody to a non-parent	The relative or caregiver granted custody	With the non-parent caregiver	Neither parent can safely care for the child

Where to File: Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division

301 West Third Street, 2nd & 3rd Floor, Dayton, OH 45422
Phone: (937) 225-4063
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m. (closed for lunch 12:00–1:15 p.m.)
Website: Court website
e-Filing: Online e-filing portal

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Montgomery County Juvenile Court
380 West Second Street, Dayton, OH 45422
Phone: (937) 496-7908
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Paternity is the right path if…

The parents were never married and legal fatherhood has not been established.
You need paternity established before custody, parenting time, or support can be ordered.
Genetic testing may be needed to confirm or rule out the alleged father.
Ohio is the child's home state under the UCCJEA.

Filing Fees

Juvenile Court parentage filings follow the Juvenile Court fee schedule · genetic testing ordered when parentage is disputed

Forms & Filing Packets

Establish parentage / paternity (Juvenile Court)

Complaint to Establish Parentage / Paternity — Opens a parentage case at the Montgomery County Juvenile Branch under R.C. 3111, asking the court to legally declare a father and (typically) allocate parental rights and set child support.
IV-D Application for Child Support Services — Opens your case with Montgomery County CSEA so support can be collected, tracked, and enforced through wage withholding.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet — Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you're asking the court to set support.

Disestablish paternity (Juvenile Court)

Used to challenge or undo an existing paternity determination. Strict deadlines apply — review the Acknowledgment-of-Paternity rescission rules.

Disestablish Paternity Packet (Juvenile Court) — The Montgomery County Juvenile Court packet for challenging an existing paternity determination. Genetic testing is typically ordered.

How to File Paternity in Montgomery County

Get the correct packet from the Juvenile Court. Use the Establish Parentage / Paternity Packet (or the Disestablish Paternity Packet) from mcjcohio.org or Citizen Services.
File at the Juvenile Court. File at 380 West Second Street, Dayton. Include the child's name, date of birth, and your contact information.
Complete genetic testing if ordered. If parentage is disputed, the court or CSEA orders genetic testing at a designated lab. Tests are 99%+ accurate.
Add custody and support. Once paternity is established, open a IV-D case with CSEA and ask the court to allocate custody and set support.

Montgomery County Practice Notes

Genetic testing. Either party can request genetic testing. The court (or CSEA) will order the parties and child to a designated lab. Tests run 99%+ accurate. If the alleged father is excluded, the case is dismissed and the Ohio Department of Health updates the birth record.
Citizen Services helps with pro se parentage filings. The Montgomery County Juvenile Court's Citizen Services, (937) 224-3977, provides free packets, form review, and notary services for self-represented parents — walk-in Monday and Tuesday, by appointment Wednesday through Friday.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do I file in Domestic Relations or Juvenile Court in Montgomery County?: If you are married to the other parent (or were married when the children were born), custody, parenting time, and child support travel with the divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment at the Domestic Relations Court, 301 W. Third Street. If you were never married, paternity and custody go to the Montgomery County Juvenile Court at 380 W. Second Street — a separate building in downtown Dayton. Grandparent and non-parent custody is always Juvenile.
What does Montgomery County CSEA do?: The Montgomery County Child Support Enforcement Agency at (937) 225-4600, 1111 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd., opens IV-D cases, runs the Ohio Income Shares calculation, collects support through wage withholding, distributes it to the receiving parent, and enforces orders through license suspension, tax intercept, and contempt referrals. File an IV-D Application whenever a child-support order is established.
Can I rescind an Acknowledgment of Paternity in Ohio?: A signed Acknowledgment of Paternity can be rescinded within 60 days of the last signature by contacting your local Child Support Enforcement Agency and completing a Request for Paternity Determination. After 60 days you must challenge the acknowledgment in court within 1 year on grounds of fraud, duress, or material mistake of fact (R.C. 3111.27). Genetic testing is typically ordered, and the Ohio Department of Health updates the birth record if the alleged father is excluded.
What does it mean for Ohio to be my child's 'home state' under the UCCJEA?: Under the UCCJEA (R.C. 3127), Ohio is the children's home state when they have lived in Ohio with a parent for at least 6 consecutive months immediately before the filing. If the children recently moved, the prior state may still have jurisdiction. Ohio courts can also decline jurisdiction as an inconvenient forum under R.C. 3127.21 even when home-state requirements are met.

Free Local Resources in Montgomery County

Montgomery County DR Court — Ohio Legal Help Self-Help Portal. Free step-by-step interviews and fillable forms for Montgomery County divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, custody, support, and protection-order cases at mcdrc.ohiolegalhelp.org.
Montgomery County DR Court Navigator & Legal Clinic. The Court Navigator (Room 222, (937) 496-7766) and the free virtual Legal Clinic with the Greater Dayton Volunteer Lawyers Project (2nd Tuesday and 3rd Thursday monthly) help self-represented parties understand procedures and complete forms.
Montgomery County Juvenile Court Citizen Services. Free pro se assistance for custody, parenting time, child support, paternity, contempt, and grandparent filings at (937) 224-3977, citizen.services@mcjcohio.org — walk-in Monday/Tuesday, by appointment Wednesday–Friday.
Montgomery County CSEA. The county IV-D child-support agency at (937) 225-4600, 1111 S. Edwin C. Moses Blvd., opens cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders.

Related to your paternity case

Child Support — Calculate, establish, or modify support under Ohio's guidelines.
Grandparents' Rights — Seek visitation or custody when it serves the child's best interest.
Post-Decree Modification — Update custody, support, or parenting orders after your case ends.

Related guides

In-depth, attorney-written guides on paternity and related Ohio family law topics.

Fathers' Rights in Ohio: Custody, Paternity, and Parenting Time — Ohio law does not favor mothers over fathers — but unmarried fathers must establish paternity before they have any rights. Here's how fathers protect their relationship with their children.
Ohio Child Custody Laws: What Every Parent Should Know — Ohio custody law turns on one principle: the best interest of the child. This guide explains sole custody, shared parenting, the statutory factors, and how courts decide.
Child Support Calculation in Ohio: How the Formula Works — Ohio calculates child support with the income shares model, combining both parents' incomes to set a shared obligation. Here's how the formula works and what changes the bottom line.

More Montgomery County family-law resources

Ohio Paternity guide — Statewide overview of paternity in Ohio.
Dayton family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Dayton metro.
Montgomery County family law guide — Court info, local filing notes, FAQs, and the downloadable Montgomery County guide.
Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Co-Founder at Gavvl Law.
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Call (513) 643-1969 or email support@gavvl.com.