Civil Litigation

Contact Information

(614) 525-7411

e-Filing System Information

Civil Forms

FEE CHANGES:
The costs for publication will be changing beginning on December 11, 2025. This may impact your case filing due to costs included in fees charged for the filing of many types of cases in the Franklin County Probate Court. E-Filing submissions that have not been approved by this date may be rejected due to the change of fees and may need to be re-filed.

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

All credit/debit transactions that take place in Probate Court or that are completed through E-Filing are subject to a financial institution transaction fee that is non-refundable. Visit our Court Costs page for more details.

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.