Ohio has a lot of overlapping provisions pertaining to acknowledgment of paternity, and how and when an acknowledgment may be overturned. The 60 day rescission rule has an exception, as outlined in the statutes below. But here's the rub: The DNA test won't become free merely because somebody files a case. The child support agency has already told you they won't pay for it because paternity has already been legally resolved. So I'm not seeing the point in spending the money to file a court case without first doing the DNA test. I think "wasting everybody's time" is an apt description of what would happen if you filed a case, got an order for a DNA test, and either chose not to act on the order because you still couldn't afford the test or came up with the additional money for the test and had it turn out that the guy who is on the birth certificate actually is the father. It makes no sense to put the cart before the horse.
Quoting ORC 3111.31. Acknowledgment of paternity affidavit form.
The department of job and family services shall prepare an acknowledgment of paternity affidavit that includes in boldface type at the top of the affidavit the rights and responsibilities of and the due process safeguards afforded to a person who acknowledges that he is the natural father of a child, including that if an alleged father acknowledges a parent and child relationship he assumes the parental duty of support, that both signators waive any right to bring an action pursuant to sections 3111.01 to 3111.18 of the Revised Code or make a request pursuant to section 3111.38 of the Revised Code, other than for purposes of rescinding the acknowledgment pursuant to section 3111.27 of the Revised Code in order to ensure expediency in resolving the question of the existence of a parent and child relationship, that either parent may rescind the acknowledgment pursuant to section 3111.27 of the Revised Code, that an action may be brought pursuant to section 3111.28 of the Revised Code, or a motion may be filed pursuant to section 3119.961 of the Revised Code, to rescind the acknowledgment, and that the natural father has the right to petition a court pursuant to section 3109.12 of the Revised Code for an order granting him reasonable parenting time with respect to the child and to petition the court for custody of the child pursuant to section 2151.23 of the Revised Code. The affidavit shall include all of the following:(A) Basic instructions for completing the form, including instructions that both the natural father and the mother of the child are required to sign the statement, that they may sign the statement without being in each other’s presence, and that the signatures must be notarized;
(B) Blank spaces to enter the full name, social security number, date of birth and address of each parent;
(C) Blank spaces to enter the full name, date of birth, and the residence of the child;
(D) A blank space to enter the name of the hospital or department of health code number assigned to the hospital, for use in situations in which the hospital fills out the form pursuant to section 3727.17 of the Revised Code;
(E) An affirmation by the mother that the information she supplied is true to the best of her knowledge and belief and that she is the natural mother of the child named on the form and assumes the parental duty of support of the child;
(F) An affirmation by the father that the information he supplied is true to the best of his knowledge and belief, that he has received information regarding his legal rights and responsibilities, that he consents to the jurisdiction of the courts of this state, and that he is the natural father of the child named on the form and assumes the parental duty of support of the child;
(G) Signature lines for the mother of the child and the natural father;
(H) Signature lines for the notary public;
(I) An instruction to include or attach any other evidence necessary to complete the new birth record that is required by the department by rule.Quoting ORC 3111.27. Rescinding acknowledgment.
(A) Except as provided in section 2151.232 or 3111.821 of the Revised Code, for an acknowledgment of paternity filed with the office of child support to be rescinded both of the following must occur:
(1) Not later than sixty days after the date of the latest signature on the acknowledgment, one of the persons who signed it must do both of the following:(B) Not later than the end of the business day following the business day on which the office receives a notice under division (A)(1)(b) of this section, it shall contact the agency indicated in the notice to verify that the person sending it has complied with division (A)(1) of this section. If the office verifies compliance, and the notice was sent within the time limit required by this section, the office shall note in its records the date the notice was received and that the acknowledgment to which the notice pertains is subject to recission. The office shall direct the agency to notify the office of the agency’s issuance of an order described in division (A)(2) of this section. On receipt from an agency of notice that an order described in division (A)(2) of this section has been issued, the acknowledgment to which the order pertains shall be rescinded as of the date.(a) Request a determination under section 3111.38 of the Revised Code of whether there is a parent and child relationship between the man who signed the acknowledgment and the child who is the subject of it;(2) An order must be issued under section 3111.46 of the Revised Code determining whether there is a parent and child relationship between the man and the child.
(b) Give the office written notice of having complied with division (A)(1)(a) of this section and include in the notice the name of the child support enforcement agency conducting genetic tests to determine whether there is a parent and child relationship;
If the office is unable to verify compliance with division (A)(1) of this section, it shall note in its records the date the notice under division (A)(1)(b) of this section was received and that compliance with division (A)(1) of this section was not verified.Quoting ORC 3111.28. Action rescinding acknowledgment.
After an acknowledgment becomes final pursuant to section 2151.232, 3111.25, or 3111.821 of the Revised Code, a man presumed to be the father of the child pursuant to section 3111.03 of the Revised Code who did not sign the acknowledgment, either person who signed the acknowledgment, or a guardian or legal custodian of the child may bring an action to rescind the acknowledgment on the basis of fraud, duress, or material mistake of fact. The court shall treat the action as an action to determine the existence or nonexistence of a parent and child relationship pursuant to sections 3111.01 to 3111.18 of the Revised Code. An action pursuant to this section shall be brought no later than one year after the acknowledgment becomes final. The action may be brought in one of the following courts in the county in which the child, the guardian or custodian of the child, or either person who signed the acknowledgment resides: the juvenile court or the domestic relations division of the court of common pleas that has jurisdiction pursuant to section 2101.022 or 2301.03 of the Revised Code to hear and determine cases arising under Chapter 3111. of the Revised Code.Quoting ORC 3119.961. Motion for relief from paternity determination or support order.
(A) Notwithstanding the provisions to the contrary in Civil Rule 60(B) and in accordance with this section, a person may file a motion for relief from a final judgment, court order, or administrative determination or order that determines that the person or a male minor referred to in division (B) of section 3109.19 of the Revised Code is the father of a child or from a child support order under which the person or male minor is the obligor. Except as otherwise provided in this section, the person shall file the motion in the division of the court of common pleas of the county in which the original judgment, court order, or child support order was made or issued or in the division of the court of common pleas of the county that has jurisdiction involving the administrative determination or order. If the determination of paternity is an acknowledgment of paternity that has become final under section 2151.232, 3111.25, or 3111.821 of the Revised Code or former section 3111.211 or 5101.314 of the Revised Code, the person shall file the motion in the juvenile court or other court with jurisdiction of the county in which the person or the child who is the subject of the acknowledgment resides.
(B) On the motion of any adverse party or on its own motion, the court in which an action is brought under this section may transfer the action to the county in which an adverse party resides when it appears to the court that the location of the original venue presents a hardship for that adverse party.Quoting ORC 2151.232. Order requiring support of child where acknowledgment of parentage is not yet final.
If an acknowledgment has been filed and entered into the birth registry pursuant to section 3111.24 of the Revised Code but has not yet become final, either parent who signed the acknowledgment may bring an action in the juvenile court or other court with jurisdiction under section 2101.022 or 2301.03 of the Revised Code under this section requesting that the court issue an order requiring a parent of the child to pay an amount for the support of the child in accordance with Chapters 3119., 3121., 3123., and 3125. of the Revised Code.
The parties to an action under this section may raise the issue of the existence or nonexistence of a parent-child relationship. If an action is commenced pursuant to this section and the issue of the existence or nonexistence of a parent-child relationship is raised, the court shall treat the action as an action commenced pursuant to sections 3111.01 to 3111.18 of the Revised Code. If the issue is raised, the court shall promptly notify the office of child support in the department of job and family services that it is conducting proceedings in compliance with sections 3111.01 to 3111.18 of the Revised Code. On receipt of the notice by the office, the acknowledgment of paternity signed by the parties and filed pursuant to section 3111.23 of the Revised Code shall be considered rescinded.
If the parties do not raise the issue of the existence or nonexistence of a parent-child relationship in the action and an order is issued pursuant to this section prior to the date the acknowledgment filed and entered on the birth registry becomes final, the acknowledgment shall be considered final as of the date of the issuance of the order. An order issued pursuant to this section shall not affect an acknowledgment that becomes final pursuant to section 3111.25 of the Revised Code prior to the issuance of the order.Quoting ORC 3111.821. Proceedings - finality of acknowledgment.
If a request is made pursuant to section 3111.78 of the Revised Code for an administrative support order and the issue of the existence or nonexistence of a parent and child relationship is raised, the administrative officer shall treat the request as a request made pursuant to section 3111.38 of the Revised Code and determine the issue in accordance with that section. If the request made under section 3111.78 of the Revised Code is made based on an acknowledgment of paternity that has not become final, the administrative officer shall promptly notify the office of child support in the department of job and family services when the officer issues an order determining the existence or nonexistence of a parent and child relationship with respect to the child who is the subject of the acknowledgment of paternity. On receipt of the notice by the office, the acknowledgment of paternity shall be considered rescinded.
If the parties do not raise the issue of the existence or nonexistence of a parent and child relationship pursuant to the request made under section 3111.78 of the Revised Code and an administrative order is issued pursuant to section 3111.81 of the Revised Code prior to the date the acknowledgment of paternity becomes final, the acknowledgment shall be considered final as of the date of the issuance of the order. An administrative order issued pursuant to section 3111.81 of the Revised Code shall not affect an acknowledgment that becomes final prior to the issuance of the order.





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