Establishing Paternity in Paulding County

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 11, 2026

Paulding County, Ohio · Paulding

When parents are not married, establishing parentage is the first step to a legal custody, parenting-time, or child-support order. In Paulding County, paternity is established by an Acknowledgment of Paternity, by genetic testing through the CSEA, or by a parentage case in the Paulding County Juvenile Court (R.C. Chapter 3111). Custody and support for never-married parents are then decided in the Juvenile Court.

How do I establish paternity in Paulding County, Ohio?

Paternity can be established three ways: both parents sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity, the CSEA orders genetic testing, or you file a parentage action in the Paulding County Juvenile Court ($100 filing fee + $25 court fees + $13 computer fund). Once paternity is established, the Juvenile Court can allocate custody and parenting time and set child support using the UCCJEA affidavit and the Ohio child-support worksheet. A fee waiver is available on a poverty affidavit; confirm current amounts with the Juvenile Court at (419) 399-8255.

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: Paulding County Court of Common Pleas - General Division (Domestic Relations)

115 N. Williams Street, Suite 201, Paulding, OH 45879
Phone: (419) 399-8220
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. and 1:00–4:30 p.m.
Website: www.pauldingcommonpleas.com/

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Paulding County Juvenile & Probate Court
115 N. Williams Street, Suite 202, Paulding, OH 45879
Phone: (419) 399-8255
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 a.m.–4:30 p.m.

Paternity is the right path if…

You and the other parent were not married when the child was born.
You need a legal father established before custody, parenting time, or support can be ordered.
You want genetic testing or a court parentage determination.
Ohio is the child's home state under the UCCJEA (lived here the last six months).

Filing Fees

$100 filing fee + $25 court fees + $13 computer fund to open a Juvenile paternity case · no court fee for CSEA administrative establishment · fee waiver on a poverty affidavit · confirm current amounts with the Juvenile Court at (419) 399-8255

Forms & Filing Packets

Parentage case in the Paulding County Juvenile Court — $100 + $25 + $13 (Juvenile paternity case)

File the complaint to establish parentage and allocate parental rights, with the UCCJEA affidavit and (if support is sought) the child-support worksheet.

Complaint for Allocation of Parental Rights & Responsibilities (Ohio SC Form 23) — Asks the Juvenile Branch to name a residential parent and legal custodian and set a parenting-time schedule when the parents were never married.
Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (UCCJEA · R.C. 3127.23) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom, confirming Ohio's jurisdiction over custody under the UCCJEA. Required in any case involving minor children.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you ask the court to set or change support.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer, so the court can order medical support.

CSEA administrative establishment — No court fee for CSEA administrative establishment

The Paulding County CSEA can establish paternity through an Acknowledgment of Paternity or genetic testing and open a IV-D support case; contested parentage and all custody decisions go to the Juvenile Court.

Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (UCCJEA · R.C. 3127.23) — Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years and with whom, confirming Ohio's jurisdiction over custody under the UCCJEA. Required in any case involving minor children.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you ask the court to set or change support.

How to File Paternity in Paulding County

Choose how to establish parentage. Sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity, ask the CSEA for genetic testing, or file a parentage action in the Paulding County Juvenile Court.
Prepare the complaint and affidavits. Use the Ohio Uniform complaint to establish parentage and allocate parental rights with the UCCJEA affidavit; add the child-support worksheet if you are asking for support.
File with the Juvenile Court. File at the Paulding County Juvenile Court, 115 N. Williams St., Suite 202; the paternity case fee is $100 + $25 + $13, with a fee waiver available on a poverty affidavit.
Resolve custody and support. Once paternity is established, the court allocates custody and parenting time and sets child support administered by the CSEA.

Paulding County Practice Notes

Acknowledgment, testing, or a court case. Paternity is established by an Acknowledgment of Paternity, by genetic testing through the CSEA, or by a juvenile-court parentage action (R.C. Chapter 3111). Administrative paternity and support services run through the CSEA, while contested parentage and all custody/parenting-time decisions are made by the Paulding County Juvenile Court (R.C. 2151.23, 3109.04).
Support runs through the Paulding County CSEA. Child support is calculated under R.C. Chapter 3119; a worksheet is attached to every support order and temporary order, and the Clerk forwards the order and a Schedule D Application for Child Support Services (IV-D) to the Paulding County Child Support Enforcement Agency (operated by Paulding County Job & Family Services) for collection through wage withholding and Ohio Child Support Payment Central. Direct parent-to-parent payments are treated as gifts. Confirm the current CSEA direct line with the county.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which court handles my family case in Paulding County?: Married parents — divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, and the custody, parenting time, and support decided inside those cases, plus civil protection orders — go to the Common Pleas Court, General Division (Domestic Relations docket), Judge Tiffany R. Beckman, 115 N. Williams St., Suite 201, Paulding, filed through the Clerk of Courts at (419) 399-8210. Unmarried parents (parentage, custody, parenting time, support), abuse/neglect/dependency, and delinquency go to the Paulding County Juvenile Court, and adoptions and name changes go to the Probate Court — Juvenile and Probate are a combined court under Judge Harvey D. Hyman in Suite 202 ((419) 399-8255 Juvenile / (419) 399-8256 Probate).
What are the Juvenile Court filing fees in Paulding County?: In the Paulding County Juvenile Court, a paternity case is $100 filing fee plus $25 court fees and a $13 computer fund. A post-decree action is $50 (simple) or $100 (with sheriff service), and a consent judgment entry is $25. A fee waiver is available on a poverty affidavit. Confirm current amounts with the Juvenile Court at (419) 399-8255.
Who handles child support in Paulding County?: Child support is calculated under R.C. Chapter 3119 and administered through the Paulding County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA), operated by Paulding County Job & Family Services. When a support order issues, a child-support worksheet is attached and the Clerk forwards the order and the Schedule D Application for Child Support Services (IV-D) to CSEA for collection through wage withholding and Ohio Child Support Payment Central (Local Rules 19.02, 19.09). Direct parent-to-parent payments are treated as gifts. Confirm the current CSEA direct line with the county.
Do I have to live in Ohio to file for divorce in Paulding County?: Yes. To file for divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment, a party must have been an Ohio resident for at least six months before filing, and the case is filed in Paulding County by venue. For never-married parents filing custody in the Paulding County Juvenile Court, Ohio must be the children's home state under the UCCJEA (R.C. 3127) — generally, the children have lived in Ohio for the last six consecutive months.

Free Local Resources in Paulding County

Paulding County Clerk of Courts. Clerk Sarah Jo Harpel files all divorce, dissolution, and Domestic Relations documents. 115 N. Williams St., Room 104, Paulding, OH 45879 · (419) 399-8210 · fax (419) 399-8248 · clerk@pauldingcountyoh.com. E-filing is by email and currently available to attorneys only (Local Rule 23); an original complaint or initial pleading may not be filed by fax or email. Confirm current deposits and packet requirements before filing.
Paulding County Common Pleas Court - General Division. Domestic Relations cases are heard by Judge Tiffany R. Beckman; contact Court Administrator Lynn Vance at (419) 399-8220 or lvance@pauldingcounty-oh.com. Local forms and Local Rules: http://www.pauldingcommonpleas.com/local-rules.html · eServices records search: http://www.pauldingcommonpleas.com/eservices/
Assisting Our Kids ("A-OK") Parenting Program. Local Rule 19.08 requires all parties in a divorce/dissolution with minor children — and any case allocating parental rights — to complete the A-OK parenting class within 75 days of filing. Take it online at https://www.assistingourkids.com/ for $30.00; the certificate is valid for three years. Print and deliver the certificate to the court or email it to lvance@pauldingcounty-oh.com.
Paulding County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Paulding County's IV-D agency opens child-support cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders; child-support orders are forwarded by the Clerk to the CSEA (Local Rules 19.02, 19.09). Confirm the current direct line with the county. File a IV-D Application when establishing or modifying support.
Paulding County Juvenile & Probate Court. Judge Harvey D. Hyman hears never-married custody, paternity, and juvenile matters (Juvenile (419) 399-8255; Probate/adoption (419) 399-8256). 115 N. Williams St., Suite 202, Paulding, OH 45879 · https://www.pauldingjuvenilecourt.com/

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.

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Ohio Paternity guide — Statewide overview of paternity in Ohio.
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