Establishing Paternity in Preble County

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

Preble County, Ohio · Eaton

Establishing paternity creates the legal father-child relationship, which has to be in place before a court can order custody, parenting time, or child support for an unmarried father. In Preble County, parentage and the orders that follow are handled by the separate Juvenile & Probate Court (Hon. Jenifer K. Overmyer; Magistrate K. Brent Copeland) at (937) 456-8136 — not the Domestic Relations docket.

How do I establish paternity in Preble County, Ohio?

There are three ways: (1) both parents sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity (often at the hospital), which has the effect of a court order once final; (2) the Preble County CSEA establishes paternity administratively, with genetic testing if needed ((937) 456-1499); or (3) you file a parentage complaint in the Preble County Juvenile Court (Ohio uniform Form 23 / Juvenile Form 2) at (937) 456-8136. Once parentage is established, the Juvenile Court decides custody, parenting time, and support on the child's best interest and the Ohio child-support guidelines. The Juvenile Court sets its own deposit — confirm it (and any genetic-testing cost) at (937) 456-8136.

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: Preble County Court of Common Pleas — General Division (Domestic Relations)

101 East Main Street, 3rd Floor, Eaton, OH 45320
Phone: (937) 456-8160
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Website: preblecountyohio.net
e-Filing: https://pa.preblecountyohio.net/eservices/

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Preble County Juvenile & Probate Court
101 East Main Street, 2nd Floor, Eaton, OH 45320
Phone: (937) 456-8136
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (closed national holidays)

Paternity is the right path if…

The parents were never married and need to establish the legal father.
You want to set custody, parenting time, or child support for the child.
You need genetic testing to confirm or contest paternity.
A mother, father, or alleged father wants a court parentage order.
You want support and parenting handled together in the Juvenile Court.

Filing Fees

Filed in the separate Juvenile & Probate Court — confirm the current parentage/custody/support deposit and any genetic-testing cost at (937) 456-8136 · the Preble County CSEA ((937) 456-1499) can also establish paternity administratively · child support uses the statewide 2024 Income Shares Model

Forms & Filing Packets

Parentage complaint in the Juvenile Court — Confirm the Juvenile Court deposit and any genetic-testing cost at (937) 456-8136

File the parentage complaint (Form 23 / Juvenile Form 2) with the parenting affidavit and child-support worksheet; the court establishes parentage (ordering genetic testing if contested), then decides custody, parenting time, and support.

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.

How to File Paternity in Preble County

Choose how to establish paternity. Sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity, ask the Preble County CSEA to establish it administratively, or file a parentage complaint in the Juvenile Court.
Prepare the Juvenile Court packet. If you file in court, complete Form 23 / Juvenile Form 2, the parenting affidavit, and the child-support worksheet, and request service.
File and confirm the deposit. File in the Preble County Juvenile & Probate Court and confirm the current deposit and any genetic-testing cost at (937) 456-8136.
Attend the hearings. The court establishes parentage (ordering genetic testing if contested), then sets custody, parenting time, and support on the child's best interest; support runs through the CSEA.

Preble County Practice Notes

Juvenile Court filings use the Juvenile Court's own fees. Custody, parenting time, parentage, and child support for never-married parents are filed in the separate Juvenile & Probate Court (Hon. Jenifer K. Overmyer; Magistrate K. Brent Copeland), not the Domestic Relations deposit schedule above. Confirm the current parentage/custody/support deposit, any genetic-testing cost, and any GAL deposit with the Juvenile Court at (937) 456-8136.
Preble County CSEA and child-support payments. The Preble County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA), 1500 Park Avenue, Eaton, OH 45320, (937) 456-1499, opens IV-D cases, can establish paternity administratively (with genetic testing if needed), runs the Ohio Income Shares calculation, and enforces orders. Support payments run through the Ohio Child Support Payment Central. Contact the CSEA for payment details.
Two separate courts: Common Pleas (Domestic Relations) and Juvenile. Preble County runs two separate family-law courts in the Preble County Courthouse, 101 East Main Street, Eaton. The Court of Common Pleas, General Division (Domestic Relations) on the 3rd floor (Hon. Stephen R. Bruns, Magistrate Erica J. Gordon, Clerk of Courts Shonda Haynes, (937) 456-8160) handles divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment — plus the custody, parenting time, and support that travel with them for married or divorcing parents. The separate Juvenile & Probate Court on the 2nd floor (Hon. Jenifer K. Overmyer, Magistrate K. Brent Copeland, Juvenile (937) 456-8136) handles paternity, custody, parenting time, and support for never-married parents, and non-parent custody.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do unmarried parents establish custody and support in Preble County?: Establish parentage first — by signing an Acknowledgment of Paternity (often at the hospital), through the Preble County CSEA administratively with genetic testing if needed ((937) 456-1499), or by filing a parentage complaint in Juvenile Court (Ohio uniform Form 23 / Juvenile Form 2). Then the Juvenile & Probate Court ((937) 456-8136) decides custody, parenting time, and support on the child's best interest and the Ohio child-support guidelines. Ohio uses sole custody or shared parenting — not 'joint' or 'primary' custody.
Do I file in Common Pleas or the Juvenile Court in Preble County?: If you are married to (or were married to) the other parent, custody, parenting time, and child support are decided inside your divorce, dissolution, legal separation, or annulment in the Court of Common Pleas, General Division ((937) 456-8160). If you were never married, parentage, custody, parenting time, and support are handled by the separate Preble County Juvenile & Probate Court (Hon. Jenifer K. Overmyer; Magistrate K. Brent Copeland), (937) 456-8136. Grandparent and other non-parent custody requests are filed in the Juvenile Court.
How much does it cost to file a custody, parentage, or support case in the Juvenile Court?: The Preble County Juvenile & Probate Court sets its own deposits, separate from the Domestic Relations schedule. Confirm the current deposit for a parentage, custody, or support filing — and any genetic-testing or GAL deposit — with the Juvenile Court at (937) 456-8136. A party who cannot afford the deposit may ask the court about an indigence/poverty affidavit.
What does the Preble County CSEA do?: The Preble County Child Support Enforcement Agency opens IV-D cases, can establish paternity administratively (with genetic testing if needed), runs the Ohio Income Shares calculation, collects support by automatic wage withholding, distributes it, and enforces orders. Reach the CSEA at 1500 Park Avenue, Eaton, OH 45320, (937) 456-1499. Support payments run through the Ohio Child Support Payment Central.
What is shared parenting in Preble County?: Shared parenting (R.C. 3109.04) designates both parents as residential parent and legal custodian under a written Shared Parenting Plan (Ohio uniform Form 20) the court approves as in the child's best interest. It is not automatically 50/50 time; the plan sets each parent's time, decision-making, and support. Married/divorcing parents file the plan in their Common Pleas case ((937) 456-8160); never-married parents file in the Juvenile Court ((937) 456-8136). The county's Model Parenting Time Schedule guides time where the plan does not specify it.

Free Local Resources in Preble County

Preble County Court of Common Pleas (Domestic Relations). Local forms, the Model Parenting Time Schedule, the Standard Parenting Time Order, and filing information for divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, custody, support, and protection orders at https://preblecountyohio.net. E-filing is required (pro se filers may file on paper); the Clerk of Courts (Shonda Haynes, (937) 456-8160) handles intake at 101 East Main Street, 3rd Floor, Eaton. Court staff cannot give legal advice or complete forms.
Preble County Juvenile & Probate Court. Handles never-married-parent parentage, custody, parenting time, and child support, plus non-parent custody, at 101 East Main Street, 2nd Floor, Eaton (Hon. Jenifer K. Overmyer; Magistrate K. Brent Copeland). Juvenile Court (937) 456-8136; Probate Court (937) 456-8137. Website https://prebleohiojuvenileprobate.org. Confirm current deposits and genetic-testing costs with the court.
Preble County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Opens IV-D cases, establishes paternity administratively, runs the Ohio Income Shares calculation, collects support by wage withholding, and enforces orders. Located at 1500 Park Avenue, Eaton, OH 45320; phone (937) 456-1499. Support payments run through the Ohio Child Support Payment Central.
Ohio Child Support Calculator. Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares child-support worksheet at https://ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov/ before any case that sets or changes support.
Child abuse / neglect hotline. Report suspected child abuse or neglect to Preble County Job & Family Services — Children Services at 1500 Park Avenue, Eaton: 24-hour hotline (937) 456-1135, Option 1. Statewide hotline 1-855-642-4453 (1-855-O-H-CHILD), 24/7. In an emergency, call 911.

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.

Keep exploring

Ohio Paternity guide — Statewide overview of paternity in Ohio.
Dayton family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Dayton metro.
Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Family Law Attorney at Gavvl Law.
Payment plans & financing — Flat fees with Gavvl Direct, Affirm, Klarna, or PayPal Pay Later.

Call (844) 694-2885 or email support@gavvl.com.