Paternity Establishment

All actions to establish paternity must be initiated through your local Child Support agency. The Fulton County CSEA provides services to establish paternity. Paternity becomes an issue when a child is born out of wedlock. By establishing paternity a legal determination is made naming the biological father of a child. To request paternity services please complete the Application Forms below. Once completed please send these to the Fulton County CSEA.

To apply for Paternity Establishment services please complete the above forms and send the signed IV-D Application for Services to:

Fulton County CSEA
604 S Shoop Ave, Suite 200
Wauseon, OH 43567

Email

Birth Certificate

If the father of a child who was born out of wedlock signs the birth certificate at the hospital he will also be required to sign the Paternity Affidavit. When this occurs paternity is not an issue and we can proceed with establishing a child support order.

Paternity Acknowledgement

If there are no other claims or pending actions to establish paternity for a child the father of a child who was born out of wedlock may sign a Paternity Affidavit acknowledging that he is the father of the child. This can happen at the hospital when the child is born, at the CSEA or at the local Registrar’s office. Once signed, the affidavit can be rescinded, at your local CSEA, for a period of 60 days.

Genetic Testing

Often genetic testing is used to determine the biological father of a child. The CSEA provides genetic testing services. In most cases the parties must first apply for child support services (see application forms above).

The Agency also provides genetic testing for individuals who have been court-ordered to have the testing completed.

Cooperation Requirements

If you have applied for Public Assistance you may be required to cooperate with Child Support to establish paternity and a support order.