Civil Department


All civil actions must be filed in the form of a complaint and must meet the requirements of the Ohio Rules of Civil Procedure. The Court does not provide forms or formats for a civil complaint.

Information regarding a Claim Against an Estate

The Civil Desk dockets and monitors pleadings relating to various types of litigation ancillary to the underlying estate, guardianship or trust. Some examples of civil actions include will contests, will constructions, land sale proceedings, actions to determine heirship, actions for presumption of death, and actions for concealment of assets. More than 300 civil actions are pending before the Court at any given time.

Minimum deposits for civil actions are as follows:
Creditors Claim:	$75.00*
Complaint for Land Sale:	$175.00*
All other Civil Action Complaints:	$150.00*

Payment must be made by cash, certified check, cashier's check, money order or attorney's check. Personal checks, credit and/or debit cards are NOT accepted

Legal Practice in the Probate Court

Legal practice in the Probate Court is restricted by law to attorneys who are licensed by the Supreme Court of Ohio. Due to the complexity of the law and desire to avoid costly errors, most individuals who have filings before the Court are represented by an attorney. Court employees are prohibited by statute from practicing law and cannot give legal advice.