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Civil Litigation

Contact Information
Phone

(614) 525-7411
e-Filing System Information
eFiling
 
Civil Forms
Documents
 

Court Hours are 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday, except legal holidays.

  • Cashier Closes at 4:30 p.m. Please arrive no later than 4:00 p.m. if your business with Court requires a filing fee or payment.
  • The Court remains open until 5:00 p.m. for informational, non-transaction purposes only.

The Civil Department dockets pleadings related 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.

All civil actions must be e-filed through the Franklin County e-Filing System 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.

Minimum Deposits for Civil Actions:

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, attorney's check or credit/debit card. Personal checks are NOT accepted.
Visa, MasterCard and Discover are accepted. There is a separate 3% service charge for all credit/debit transactions that take place in the Probate Court.

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.

Additional information about getting help with limited legal services is available here.