Establishing Paternity in Shelby County

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 15, 2026

Shelby County, Ohio · Sidney

When parents were never married to each other, parentage, custody, parenting time, and child support are decided by the Shelby County Juvenile Court (Judge Jeffrey J. Beigel; 100 E. Court Street, 2nd Floor; P.O. Box 4187, Sidney 45365-4187; (937) 498-7255). Establishing paternity is the first step — until it is legally established, an unmarried father has no enforceable custody or parenting-time rights.

How do I establish paternity in Shelby County, Ohio?

There are three routes: sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity affidavit (often at the hospital), an administrative genetic-testing determination through the Shelby County CSEA, or file a parentage case in the Shelby County Juvenile Court. To establish paternity and ask the court to set custody and parenting time at the same time, file the Complaint for Parentage, Allocation of Parental Rights & Responsibilities (Custody) and Parenting Time (Uniform DR Form 23 / Uniform Juvenile Form 2), together with the Affidavit of Basic Information, Income and Expenses (Affidavit 1), the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (Affidavit 3), a Request for Service (Form 31), and the county-local Jurisdictional Notice (R.C. 2151.233) and Application for Child Support Services. Juvenile Local Rule 4 requires a $250 deposit with the filing.

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: Shelby County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division

100 E. Court Street, 3rd Floor, Sidney, OH 45365
Phone: (937) 498-7221
Hours: Monday–Thursday, 8:30 AM–4:00 PM; Friday, 8:30 AM–Noon
Website: co.shelby.oh.us/229/Common-Pleas-Court

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Shelby County Juvenile Court
100 E. Court Street, 2nd Floor, Sidney, OH 45365
Phone: (937) 498-7255
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM–4:00 PM

Paternity is the right path if…

You and the other parent were never married to each other.
You need paternity legally established before custody or support can be ordered.
You want custody and parenting time decided along with paternity.
You can complete a Juvenile Court parentage filing and pay (or seek a waiver of) the $250 deposit.

Filing Fees

Juvenile filings carry a $250 deposit (Juvenile Local Rule 4) · Outstanding court costs must be paid before a case is reopened on a post-judgment motion · CSEA can establish paternity administratively (genetic testing) · Confirm current amounts with the Juvenile Court at (937) 498-7255

Forms & Filing Packets

Establish parentage and allocate custody (Juvenile Court) — $250 deposit (Juvenile Local Rule 4)

The combined complaint establishes paternity and asks the court to set custody, parenting time, and support.

Complaint for Parentage, Allocation of Parental Rights & Responsibilities (Custody) and Parenting Time — Opens a never-married parent's parentage/custody case in the Shelby County Juvenile Court (Uniform DR Form 23 / Uniform Juvenile Form 2).
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.
Affidavit of Income & Expenses (Ohio SC Affidavit 1) — Income, expenses, and basic financial information. Each party files their own. Must be notarized.
Jurisdictional Notice (R.C. 2151.233) — County-local notice required with a parentage/custody filing in the Shelby County Juvenile Court.
Application for Child Support Services (Juvenile) — Opens a IV-D case with the Shelby County CSEA so support is collected by wage withholding.
Request for Service (Ohio SC Form 31) — Tells the Clerk how to serve the other party (certified mail, sheriff, or process server).

Optional personal-identifiers disclosure

File the optional Personal Identifiers Disclosure with your parentage/custody packet.

Personal Identifiers Disclosure (optional) — Optional disclosure of sensitive identifiers filed with a juvenile parentage/custody case.

How to File Paternity in Shelby County

Choose how to establish paternity. Sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity, ask the Shelby County CSEA for administrative genetic testing, or file a parentage case in the Juvenile Court.
Build the parentage packet. Use the Complaint for Parentage, Allocation of Parental Rights & Responsibilities and Parenting Time, plus Affidavit 1, the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit, the Jurisdictional Notice, and the Application for Child Support Services.
File with the Juvenile Court and pay the deposit. File with the Shelby County Juvenile Court at (937) 498-7255 and pay the $250 deposit (Juvenile Local Rule 4), then arrange service with a Request for Service (Form 31).
Attend the hearings. The court establishes paternity (ordering genetic testing if needed) and then allocates custody, parenting time, and support in the child's best interest.

Shelby County Practice Notes

Never-married parents start in Juvenile Court. Parentage, custody, parenting time, and child support for unmarried parents are decided in the Shelby County Juvenile Court (Judge Jeffrey J. Beigel), not the Common Pleas Domestic Relations Division used for married parents.
Signing the paternity affidavit is not custody. An Acknowledgment of Paternity establishes legal fatherhood but not enforceable custody or parenting time. Until a court order issues, the unmarried mother is the residential parent and legal custodian by default. A parentage/custody complaint is how a father obtains parenting rights.
County-local forms ride with the complaint. A Shelby County parentage filing requires the county-local Jurisdictional Notice (R.C. 2151.233) and the Application for Child Support Services, plus the standardized Affidavit 1 and Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (Affidavit 3) and a Request for Service (Form 31).

Frequently Asked Questions

What are the ways to establish paternity in Shelby County?: Three routes: signing an Acknowledgment of Paternity affidavit (usually at the hospital), an administrative genetic-testing determination through the Shelby County CSEA, or filing a Complaint for Parentage in the Shelby County Juvenile Court, where the court can order genetic testing and allocate custody and support.
I signed the paternity affidavit at the hospital — do I have custody now?: You have legal fatherhood but not enforceable custody or parenting time. Until a court order issues, an unmarried mother is the residential parent and legal custodian by default. To get custody or parenting time, file a Complaint for Parentage, Allocation of Parental Rights & Responsibilities in the Shelby County Juvenile Court.
What forms do I need to start a parentage case in Shelby County?: The Complaint for Parentage, Allocation of Parental Rights & Responsibilities (Custody) and Parenting Time (Uniform DR Form 23 / Uniform Juvenile Form 2), plus the Affidavit of Basic Information, Income and Expenses (Affidavit 1), the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (Affidavit 3), a Request for Service (Form 31), and the county-local Jurisdictional Notice (R.C. 2151.233) and Application for Child Support Services. A $250 deposit applies (Juvenile Local Rule 4).
Where do never-married parents file custody in Shelby County?: In the Shelby County Juvenile Court, 100 E. Court Street, 2nd Floor, Sidney (P.O. Box 4187, Sidney 45365-4187), (937) 498-7255 — not the Domestic Relations Division. Grandparent and other non-parent custody requests are also filed in the Juvenile Court.

Free Local Resources in Shelby County

Shelby County Clerk of Courts. Handles Domestic Relations filings and provides local DR forms and instructions. Filings are the original plus 4 copies (Local DR Rule 4); e-filing per General Division Local Rule 39. Call (937) 498-7221 to confirm the current cost deposit and packet requirements before filing.
Shelby County Juvenile Court (Probate & Juvenile). Handles parentage, custody, parenting time, and support for never-married parents, plus non-parent custody. Forms by matter at shelbycoprobate.org/shelby-county-juvenile-court/; (937) 498-7255. Every juvenile filing carries a $250 deposit (Juvenile Local Rule 4).
Catholic Social Services — Parenting Seminar. Provides the court-ordered "Shield Your Child from Conflict" parenting seminar (Local DR Rule 13) at 100 South Main Street, Suite 101, Sidney. Register by phone or in person at (937) 498-4593; fee-waiver requests go directly to Catholic Social Services.
Shelby County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). 227 South Ohio Avenue, Sidney; (937) 498-4981 (toll-free 800-561-5548). Establishes paternity and support, modifies and enforces orders, and processes payments through Ohio Child Support Payment Central (2% administrative fee).

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.
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