Lawyer Directory & Resources.

Ohio Legal Help provides free self-help resources and forms for Ohio residents.

• ohiolegalhelp.org — free self-help guides and forms
• Step-by-step guides for self-represented litigants
• Covers: divorce, custody, CPO, child support, eviction

The Ohio State Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service connects you with attorneys.

• OSBA Lawyer Referral — (800) 232-7124
• Low-cost initial consultation with a referred attorney
• For free legal services, contact your local Legal Aid office

• Legal Aid of Southeast & Central Ohio (LASCO) — 614-221-7201
• Legal Aid Society of Cleveland
• Legal Aid Line (NW Ohio)
• Legal Aid (Cincinnati)

CSEA is county-level and handles child support enforcement, paternity establishment, and modification.

• Ohio Child Support Calculator
• Services: establish paternity, enforce support orders, modify orders
• 36-month review: CSEA must review every 36 months without requiring change in circumstances
• 10% variance rule (R.C. 3119.79): if new calculation differs by 10%+, modification presumed

The Supreme Court of Ohio provides standardized forms for self-represented litigants:

• All standardized forms
• Form 7 (Divorce with Children), Form 20 (Shared Parenting Plan), Form 23 (Parentage/Custody)
• Form 26 (Change Parenting Time), Form 27 (Change Custody), Form 28 (Change Child Support)
• Civil Fee Waiver Affidavit (for fee waiver)

• Ohio Domestic Violence Network: 1-800-934-9840 (24/7) — odvn.org
• Franklin County DV Hotline: 614-224-4663 (24/7)
• Montgomery County: 937-461-HELP (4357)
• CPO filing: FREE at your county Court of Common Pleas. Form 10.01-D.

• Statewide hotline: 855-O-H-CHILD (855-642-4453)
• Mandated reporters must report under R.C. 2151.421
• Contact your county PCSA (Public Children Services Agency)
• State oversight: Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY)

If unmarried, establish paternity through:

• Acknowledgment of Paternity Affidavit — sign at hospital at birth or at CSEA (R.C. 3111.20-3111.35)
• 60-day rescission period — either parent can rescind within 60 days
• After 60 days, can only challenge for fraud, duress, or material mistake of fact
• Genetic testing — CSEA can order DNA testing (R.C. 3111.42)
• Court order — file paternity action in juvenile or common pleas court

Ohio trial court directory — find your county Court of Common Pleas.