Establishing Paternity in Scioto County

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

Scioto County, Ohio · Portsmouth

Establishing paternity is the first step before an unmarried father can get enforceable custody, parenting time, or a support order. Until parentage is established, an Ohio mother is the sole residential parent and legal custodian by default (R.C. 3109.042). In Scioto County a parentage case can be filed in the Domestic Relations Division, which has jurisdiction over R.C. 3111 parentage matters, or in the Juvenile Division.

How do I establish paternity in Scioto County, Ohio?

Paternity can be established three ways: a signed Acknowledgment of Paternity, a genetic-testing order through the Scioto County CSEA, or a court parentage action. To get custody, parenting time, and support, file a Complaint for Parentage and Allocation of Parental Rights (Ohio Form 23) — the Domestic Relations Division has jurisdiction over R.C. 3111 parentage cases, and the Juvenile Division shares concurrent jurisdiction. Add the UCCJEA affidavit and the child-support worksheet. Until paternity is established, the mother is the sole residential parent by default (R.C. 3109.042).

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: Scioto County Court of Common Pleas — Domestic Relations Division

602 7th St, Room 303, Portsmouth, OH 45662, Portsmouth, OH 45662
Phone: (740) 355-8316
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM (closed for lunch 12:00–1:00 PM)
Website: sciotocountydrcourt.com

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Scioto County Juvenile Court
602 7th St #201, Portsmouth, OH 45662, Portsmouth, OH 45662
Phone: (740) 355-8306
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4:30 PM (closed for lunch 12:00–1:00 PM)

Paternity is the right path if…

The parents were not married when the child was born.
You need legal fatherhood confirmed before asking for custody or parenting time.
You want a child-support order that CSEA can enforce.
You're ready to file the UCCJEA affidavit and child-support worksheet with the parentage case.

Filing Fees

Parentage case in Domestic Relations $250 · in Juvenile $275 first child / $125 each additional plus a $25 drug/alcohol screen · Mediation Fund $40 (paternity) · confirm the right court and amounts with the Clerk.

Forms & Filing Packets

Establish paternity and allocate parental rights — $250 in Domestic Relations · $275 first child in Juvenile (plus $25 screen)

File a parentage complaint to confirm fatherhood and ask the court to set 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.
IV-D Application for Child Support Services (Scioto County DR Form 4) — Opens a IV-D case with the Scioto County Child Support Enforcement Agency so it can calculate, collect, and enforce support. File whenever a support order is requested. Confirm the current form with the DR Court or CSEA.

Already established — set custody and support — $250 in Domestic Relations · $275 first child in Juvenile (plus $25 screen)

If paternity is already established, file to allocate parental rights and set a support order.

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.

How to File Paternity in Scioto County

Establish parentage. Use an Acknowledgment of Paternity, a CSEA genetic-testing order, or a court parentage action to legally confirm fatherhood.
Prepare the parentage complaint. Complete the Complaint for Parentage and Allocation of Parental Rights (Form 23) with the UCCJEA / Parenting Proceeding Affidavit and the child-support worksheet.
Choose and file in the right court. File in the Domestic Relations Division or the Juvenile Division and pay the deposit ($250 DR / $275 first child Juvenile plus the $25 screen). Add a IV-D application so CSEA can collect support.
Serve the other parent. Arrange service through the Clerk so the other parent receives notice of the case.
Attend the hearing. The court confirms paternity, allocates custody and parenting time under the best-interest standard, and sets child support.

Scioto County Practice Notes

Two courts share parentage work. The Scioto County Domestic Relations Division has jurisdiction over R.C. 3111 parentage cases, and the Juvenile Division shares concurrent jurisdiction over unmarried custody, parentage, and support. Confirm the right court for your situation before filing so the case isn't transferred.
CSEA calculates, collects, and enforces support. The Scioto County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA), 710 Court Street, Portsmouth, opens the IV-D case, sets up automatic wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders through license suspension, tax intercept, credit reporting, and contempt referrals. Confirm the agency's current direct phone before calling. File a IV-D Application (DR Form 4) whenever a support order is established.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does an unmarried father have custody rights in Scioto County before going to court?: No. In Ohio an unmarried mother is the sole residential parent and legal custodian by default until a court orders otherwise (R.C. 3109.042). An unmarried father generally needs both established parentage — by an Acknowledgment of Paternity, a prior judgment, or genetic testing — and a custody or parenting-time order before his rights are enforceable. In Scioto County a parentage case can be filed in the Domestic Relations Division, which has jurisdiction over R.C. 3111 parentage matters, or in the Juvenile Division; confirm the right court for your situation before filing.
Do I file custody in Domestic Relations or Juvenile Court in Scioto County?: Divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment are always filed in the standalone Domestic Relations Division, where custody, parenting time, and support are decided inside the case. That division also has jurisdiction over parentage (R.C. 3111) and the allocation of parental rights for unmarried parents, and the Juvenile Division shares concurrent jurisdiction over unmarried custody, parentage, and support (R.C. 2151.23). Which court fits an unmarried-parent case is fact-specific — for example, whether a DR case already exists — so confirm the right court before filing. Grandparent and other non-parent custody requests are filed in the Juvenile Division.
What is a IV-D application and why do I need one?: A IV-D Application opens a child-support case with the Scioto County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA), located at 710 Court Street, Portsmouth (confirm the agency's current direct phone). Once opened, CSEA calculates support under Ohio's 2024 Income Shares Model, collects it through automatic wage withholding, distributes it to the receiving parent, and can enforce the order through license suspension, federal tax intercept, credit reporting, and contempt referrals. Filing a IV-D Application is standard whenever a child-support order is established.
How is child support calculated in Scioto County?: Scioto County uses Ohio's statewide 2024 Income Shares Model — there is no county formula. Run the official worksheet at ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov using both parents' gross incomes, the parenting-time schedule, health-insurance premiums, and work-related child-care costs, then print and sign it. The Scioto County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA), 710 Court Street, Portsmouth, opens the IV-D case, sets up wage withholding, and enforces collection. A deviation from the guideline amount requires statutory best-interest findings.

Free Local Resources in Scioto County

Scioto County Clerk of Courts — Legal Division. Provides the current Clerk fee schedule (rev. 1/1/2024), local forms, and filing instructions for divorce, dissolution, and custody cases. Visit https://sciotoclerk.com/legal-division/ before filing to confirm deposits and accepted payment methods.
Scioto County Domestic Relations Division. The standalone DR court (Judge Jerry L. Buckler; Magistrate Robert M. Johnson) at 602 7th St, Room 303, Portsmouth, (740) 355-8316 (fax (740) 355-8205). Hears divorce, dissolution, legal separation, annulment, parentage, custody, and support, and distributes the DR packets and local forms. Hours Monday–Friday 8:30 AM–4:30 PM (closed for lunch 12:00–1:00 PM). https://sciotocountydrcourt.com
Scioto County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Scioto County's IV-D agency at 710 Court Street, Portsmouth, opens child-support cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders. Confirm the agency's current direct phone. File a IV-D Application when establishing or modifying support.
"Successful Co-Parenting" Parenting Class — OSU Extension. The court-approved 3-hour parenting-education seminar for parents with minor children, taken online at https://scponline.osu.edu (registered via DR Form 11). Complete it within 60 days and file the Certificate of Attendance before the final hearing (DR Rule 6.02).

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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