Summit County Paternity Attorneys

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated May 26, 2026

Summit County, Ohio · Akron

Establishing paternity gives a child a legal father and is the gateway to a father's custody and parenting-time rights — and to child support. In Summit County paternity can be established by signing an Acknowledgment of Paternity, through CSEA genetic testing, or by filing a parentage case. Cases for never-married parents are heard at the Summit County Juvenile Court, 650 Dan Street, Akron.

Hire Gavvl for your Summit County paternity case

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

Start with a $25 consultation and talk through your options with an Ohio family-law attorney before you commit to anything. Get started online or see payment plans & financing.

How do I establish paternity in Summit County, Ohio?

There are three routes in Ohio: sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity (at the hospital or through CSEA), get an administrative genetic-testing order through the Summit County CSEA, or file a Complaint for Parentage and Allocation of Parental Rights (Form 23). If you also want custody, parenting time, or support set, the parentage case is the route — filed at the Summit Juvenile Court, 650 Dan Street, with the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit (Affidavit 3) and a child-support worksheet. Never-married parents complete the "Working Together" program. Until paternity is established, an unmarried father has no enforceable rights and the mother has sole custody by default.

Summit County paternity, handled by Gavvl Law

Until a court says otherwise, an unmarried mother in Summit County has sole custody by default, and an unmarried father has no enforceable custody or parenting time until he establishes paternity. You can do that by signing an Acknowledgment of Paternity, through a CSEA genetic-testing order, or by filing a Complaint for Parentage, Allocation of Parental Rights and Parenting Time (Summit Form 23) so the court also sets custody, parenting time, and support in one case. Gavvl Law files the parentage case in the right Akron courthouse and sets a flat fee up front, with financing available.

Filed in the right courthouse the first time. Never-married parentage can be heard at the Domestic Relations Court on South High Street or at the Juvenile Court, 650 Dan Street, and filing in the wrong one delays everything. We confirm venue, file Form 23, and pair it with the child-support worksheet and UCCJEA affidavit so paternity, custody, and support move together.
Paternity as the gate to a father's rights. Establishing paternity is what unlocks a father's standing to ask for custody and parenting time, so getting the acknowledgment or genetic-testing step right matters. We handle the parentage proof and then push for the parenting-time and decision-making terms you actually want, not just a support number.
Working Together enrolled, support run on the 2024 worksheet. Summit routes never-married parents through its online "Working Together" program on the court's Learning Management System before the parenting orders finalize. We enroll you early, calculate support on Ohio's 2024 Income Shares worksheet, and quote one flat fee up front with payment plans for contested cases.

A private parenting complaint in Summit County carries a $420 Clerk deposit, and if you cannot afford it the Financial Disclosure / Affidavit of Indigency or a fee-payment-plan application can cover it. We ground every filing in the Summit-hosted Form 23 and the county's own service instructions, so an unmarried parent's case starts clean at the Akron counter.

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: Summit County Court of Common Pleas, Domestic Relations Division

205 South High Street, Akron, OH 44308
Phone: (330) 643-2365
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
Website: Court website
e-Filing: Online e-filing portal

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Summit County Juvenile Court
650 Dan Street, Akron, OH 44310
Phone: (330) 643-2900
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.

Paternity is the right path if…

You are an unmarried father seeking legal recognition and parenting rights.
You are a mother seeking support or to confirm the father's identity.
You want custody, parenting time, or support decided alongside paternity.
Paternity is disputed and you may need genetic testing.

Filing Fees

Paternity by acknowledgment, CSEA genetic testing, or a parentage case (Form 23) · Parentage filings $420 · Heard at the Summit Juvenile Court, 650 Dan Street · "Working Together" program for never-married parents

Forms & Filing Packets

Agreed paternity (acknowledgment or CSEA) — No court filing fee for an acknowledgment

When both parents agree, sign an Acknowledgment of Paternity or use CSEA. To then set support, open a CSEA case with the Application for Child Support Services and run the Ohio worksheet.

Application for Child Support Services (Summit Local Form 115) — Opens a CSEA (IV-D) case so the agency can collect and distribute support by wage withholding. Required with any DR filing that involves children.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet — Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you ask a Summit court to set or change support.

Parentage case (disputed or court orders needed) — $420 private parenting complaint

File a Complaint for Parentage and Allocation of Parental Rights (Form 23) at the Juvenile Court. The court can order genetic testing and then set custody, parenting time, and support.

Complaint for Parentage, Allocation of Parental Rights and Parenting Time (Summit Form 23) — Never-married parents use this Summit DR complaint to establish paternity and ask the court to allocate custody, set parenting time, and order child support.
Parenting Proceeding / UCCJEA Affidavit (Summit Affidavit 3) — Lists each child's address history for the last 5 years and any other custody cases, confirming Ohio's jurisdiction. Required whenever minor children are involved.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Summit Affidavit 4) — States what health coverage is available for the children and at what cost — used to set the medical-support part of a child-support order.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet — Run the official Ohio 2024 Income Shares calculator, print, and sign. Required any time you ask a Summit court to set or change support.
Application for Child Support Services (Summit Local Form 115) — Opens a CSEA (IV-D) case so the agency can collect and distribute support by wage withholding. Required with any DR filing that involves children.

How to File Paternity in Summit County

Decide the route. If both parents agree, an Acknowledgment of Paternity or CSEA is simplest. If paternity is disputed or you need custody or support orders, file a parentage case.
Use CSEA for testing if needed. Request genetic testing through the Summit County CSEA, which can issue an administrative order before any court case.
File the parentage complaint. File Form 23 at the Summit Juvenile Court, 650 Dan Street, Akron, with the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit and a child-support worksheet.
Complete the program. Never-married parents complete the "Working Together" program through the court's online system.
Get the orders entered. After paternity is confirmed, the court allocates custody and parenting time and sets child support, all in the same case.

Summit County Practice Notes

Paternity unlocks a father's rights. Without established paternity, an unmarried father cannot enforce custody or parenting time, and the mother has sole custody by default. Establishing paternity is the first step to any father's parenting order.
Three ways to establish it. An Acknowledgment of Paternity (signed voluntarily), an administrative genetic-testing order through CSEA, or a court parentage case. A signed acknowledgment has the force of a court order once final.
Set custody and support in the same case. A parentage case (Form 23) lets the Juvenile Court establish paternity and, in one proceeding, allocate parental rights, set a parenting-time schedule, and order child support.
Best-interest standard governs custody. Once paternity is established, any custody and parenting-time decision uses the R.C. 3109.04 best-interest factors — the same standard applied in divorce cases.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I establish paternity in Summit County?: Paternity can be established three ways in Ohio: signing an Acknowledgment of Paternity at the hospital or through CSEA, an administrative genetic-testing order through CSEA, or a parentage case in court. For never-married parents who also want custody, parenting time, or support set, file a Complaint for Parentage and Allocation of Parental Rights (Summit Form 23) — at the DR Court if filed there, or at the Juvenile Court, 650 Dan Street. Establishing paternity is the gate to a father's custody and parenting-time rights.
What is the "Working Together" program, and who has to take it?: "Working Together" is the Summit DR Court's online program for never-married parents in parentage and parenting cases. It covers each parent's rights and responsibilities for custody, parenting time, and support, and connects parents with a neutral professional to resolve differences. It is delivered through the same Learning Management System as "Remember the Children." The court's order tells you which program you must complete.
Does my case go to the Domestic Relations Court or the Juvenile Court?: Summit splits family work by courthouse. Married and divorcing parents — and their custody, support, and parenting-time issues — are handled at the Domestic Relations Court, 205 South High Street, Akron. Never-married parents and non-parent (grandparent/relative) custody cases are handled at the Summit County Juvenile Court, 650 Dan Street, Akron. Filing in the wrong court delays your case, so confirm venue before you file.
What standard does a Summit County court use to decide custody?: Ohio courts decide custody by the child's best interest under R.C. 3109.04(F)(1). The factors include each parent's wishes, the child's wishes (when the court interviews the child), the child's relationships with parents and siblings, adjustment to home, school, and community, the mental and physical health of everyone involved, which parent is more likely to honor parenting time, child-support compliance, any history of abuse or neglect, and whether a parent plans to move out of state.
How does child support get collected in Summit County?: Once a court sets support, the Summit County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA) opens a IV-D case and collects payments through wage withholding, then distributes them to the receiving parent. You open a CSEA case by filing the Application for Child Support Services (Local Form 115) with your case. CSEA also handles administrative reviews and can help enforce arrears. CSEA filings are exempt from the cost deposit.

Free Local Resources in Summit County

Summit Free Legal Clinic at Open M. Court-hosted community clinic in Akron offering free legal advice for self-represented parties.
Summit County DR Court. drcourt.org — CPO forms, Local Rules, judge bios, and the parenting-class LMS. Clerk's Office (1st floor) opens at 7:30 a.m.
Summit County Juvenile Court. juvenilecourt.summitoh.net · (330) 643-2900. Custody, visitation, support, and Grandparent Power of Attorney forms at 650 Dan Street.
Summit County CSEA (Child Support Enforcement Agency). Opens IV-D cases and collects/distributes child support through wage withholding once a support order is in place.
Victim Assistance Program of Summit County. Free advocates who help domestic-violence survivors complete CPO petitions and prepare for hearings.

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 Summit County family-law resources

Ohio Paternity guide — Statewide overview of paternity in Ohio.
Akron family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Akron metro.
Summit County family law guide — Court info, local filing notes, FAQs, and the downloadable Summit County guide.
Meet Stephanie Green — Managing Partner & Co-Founder 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.