Establishing Paternity in Wyandot County

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

Wyandot County, Ohio · Upper Sandusky

When parents were never married, the Wyandot County Juvenile Court handles parentage (legally establishing who the father is), custody, parenting time, and support. In Ohio, an unmarried mother is the sole residential parent and legal custodian by default (R.C. 3109.042) until a court orders otherwise — so an unmarried father generally needs both established parentage and a custody or parenting-time order to have enforceable rights.

How do I establish paternity in Wyandot County, Ohio?

File a complaint to establish parentage under R.C. Chapter 3111 (with custody and support under R.C. 2151.23) at the Wyandot County Juvenile Court, 109 S. Sandusky Ave., 3rd Floor, Room 33, Upper Sandusky, (419) 294-2545. The deposit is $300, and service by publication, if needed, is just $75 (versus $275 in Common Pleas). Paternity can be established by an Acknowledgment of Paternity, a prior judgment, or genetic testing. Once parentage is set, the court can allocate custody and parenting time using the Local Rule 25 standard schedule and order support on the 2024 Income Shares worksheet.

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: Wyandot County Court of Common Pleas

109 S Sandusky Ave, Upper Sandusky, OH 43351, Upper Sandusky, OH 43351
Phone: (419) 294-1432
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm
Website: wyandotcountyclerk.org/

Paternity is the right path if…

You and the other parent were never married to each other.
You need to legally establish the father (by acknowledgment, judgment, or genetic testing).
You want a custody, parenting-time, or child-support order that you can enforce.
Ohio is the children's home state under the UCCJEA (lived in Ohio about the last 6 months).

Filing Fees

$300 new Juvenile Court case · service by publication $75 (vs. $275 in Common Pleas) · motion in an existing open case $50 · confirm amounts with the Juvenile Court at (419) 294-2545

Forms & Filing Packets

Establish parentage and allocate custody — $300 new Juvenile case · service by publication $75

File at the Wyandot County Juvenile Court. Add the UCCJEA Parenting Proceeding Affidavit; the Local Rule 25 standard parenting-time order applies.

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.

Add a child-support order — Included with the $300 Juvenile case

Include the official worksheet, the Health Insurance Affidavit, and a IV-D application so CSEA can calculate and enforce support.

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.
Title IV-D Child Support Services Application — Local Rule 4.1 requires a IV-D application with the Complaint (and Answer) whenever support is at issue. The Wyandot County Child Support Enforcement Agency then opens a case, calculates support, and enforces collection. Confirm the current form with the Clerk at (419) 294-1432.

How to File Paternity in Wyandot County

Confirm Juvenile Court is the right court. Never-married parents file parentage, custody, and support in the Wyandot County Juvenile Court (not the Domestic Relations docket).
Prepare the complaint. File a complaint to establish parentage under R.C. Chapter 3111 plus custody/support under R.C. 2151.23, with the UCCJEA Parenting Proceeding Affidavit.
File with the $300 deposit. File at 109 S. Sandusky Ave., 3rd Floor, Room 33, Upper Sandusky. Wyandot uses the Ohio Supreme Court standardized juvenile forms — no local templates.
Establish parentage. Paternity is set by an Acknowledgment of Paternity, a prior judgment, or genetic testing if it is contested.
Set custody, parenting time, and support. The court allocates parental rights, applies the Local Rule 25 standard schedule, and orders support on the 2024 Income Shares worksheet; both parents complete Children in Between Online.

Wyandot County Practice Notes

Mother is the default custodian until a court orders otherwise. Under R.C. 3109.042, an unmarried mother is the sole residential parent and legal custodian by default. An unmarried father generally needs both established parentage and a custody or parenting-time order before his rights are enforceable.
Juvenile publication is far cheaper. If a parent can't be located, service by publication in the Juvenile Court is $75 — versus the $275 Common Pleas rate. Budget accordingly depending on which docket your case is on.
Local Rule 25 standard parenting-time order. When parents can't agree, Wyandot applies a standard schedule: alternate weekends Friday 6 p.m.–Sunday 6 p.m., six alternating holidays, a two-segment Christmas split through January 1, Mother's/Father's Day 8:30 a.m.–6 p.m., and four summer weeks with vacation notice due by April 1. The children may not be removed from Ohio without a modified order.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does an unmarried father have custody rights in Wyandot 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 Acknowledgment of Paternity, a prior judgment, or genetic testing) and a custody or parenting-time order from the Wyandot County Juvenile Court before he has enforceable rights.
Where do unmarried parents file for custody, paternity, or support in Wyandot County?: At the Wyandot County Juvenile Court — 109 S. Sandusky Ave., 3rd Floor, Room 33, Upper Sandusky, (419) 294-2545. The deposit is $300 for a new civil case, and the same standard parenting-time schedule and Children in Between Online class used in divorce cases apply. One judge hears all divisions in Wyandot, but the Juvenile Court keeps its own clerk and fee schedule — and by statute (R.C. 4705.01) its clerks cannot help you prepare your paperwork.
What is the standard parenting-time schedule in Wyandot County?: Under Local Rule 25, the standard order is alternate weekends Friday 6:00 p.m. to Sunday 6:00 p.m.; six holidays alternating by odd/even year (MLK Day, Easter, Memorial Day, July 4th, Labor Day, Thanksgiving); Christmas split into two alternating segments running through January 1; Mother's Day / Father's Day with the honored parent 8:30 a.m.–6:00 p.m.; and four weeks of summer parenting time with vacation notice due by April 1. The order applies in divorce, paternity, and juvenile cases and bars removing the children from Ohio without a modified order.
How is child support calculated in Wyandot County?: Wyandot County uses Ohio's statewide 2024 Income Shares Model — there is no county-specific formula. Run the official worksheet at ohiochildsupportcalculator.ohio.gov using both parents' gross incomes, parenting-time, health-insurance, and child-care figures, then print and sign it for filing. The Wyandot County Child Support Enforcement Agency collects and enforces the order, and a deviation from the guideline amount requires the statutory 'unjust, inappropriate, not in the best interest' findings (Local Rule 26).

Free Local Resources in Wyandot County

Wyandot County Clerk of Courts. Clerk of Courts Eileen Walton, Legal Division, 109 S. Sandusky Ave., Room 31, Upper Sandusky, OH 43351. Provides current filing fees, local forms (Case Designation Sheet, Personal Identifiers form), and filing instructions for custody, divorce, and dissolution cases. Call (419) 294-1432 or visit https://wyandotcountyclerk.org/ before filing to confirm deposits and packet requirements.
Wyandot County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Wyandot County's IV-D agency opens child-support cases, runs wage withholding, distributes payments, and enforces orders. File a IV-D Application when establishing or modifying support.

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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