Annulment in Brown County

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 11, 2026

Brown County, Ohio · Georgetown

An annulment (R.C. 3105.31) asks a Brown County court to declare that a marriage was never valid — not to end a valid marriage. It is filed in the General & Domestic Relations Division and is fact-intensive: the grounds and time limits are narrow and specific. Many cases that feel like grounds for annulment proceed as divorces instead. The Local Rule 4 deposit is the same $250 category as a divorce.

How do I file for annulment in Brown County, Ohio?

File a complaint for annulment in the Brown County General & Domestic Relations Division through the Clerk of Courts, 101 S. Main St., Georgetown, with the $250 deposit (plus the $45 special-works assessment). The complaint must set out one of the narrow R.C. 3105.31 grounds — bigamy, being underage without consent, fraud, force, or inability to consummate — and is fact-intensive with specific time limits. The usual Local Rule 31 affidavits apply, and you serve the other spouse. The court determines whether the statutory grounds exist; annulment is not necessarily cheaper or faster than a divorce, and is not available merely because a marriage was brief.

Ohio Divorce by the Numbers

6 months Ohio residency required before you can file Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.03
90 days Residency in the county of filing (venue) Source: Ohio Civ. R. 3
30–90 days Typical time to finalize an uncontested dissolution Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.64
1 year Living separate and apart that qualifies as no-fault grounds Source: Ohio Revised Code § 3105.01

Compare Your Options for Ending a Marriage in Ohio

Path	Ends the marriage?	Agreement required?	Best when
Dissolution	Yes	Yes — on every term before filing	Both spouses agree on everything and want the fastest, lowest-cost path
Divorce (contested)	Yes	No	Spouses disagree on property, support, or parenting and need a judge to decide
Divorce (uncontested / default)	Yes	No	One spouse will not respond or cannot be located
Legal separation	No — you stay married	Optional	You need court orders but must stay married (religion, insurance, or benefits)
Annulment	Treated as never valid	No	The marriage was never legally valid (fraud, bigamy, underage, or incapacity)

Where to File: Brown County Court of Common Pleas — General & Domestic Relations Division

101 South Main Street, Georgetown, OH 45121, Georgetown, OH 45121
Phone: (937) 378-3233
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM; Thursdays until 6:00 PM (closed legal holidays)
Website: browncountyohiocommonpleascourt.us/
e-Filing: https://www.clerkofcourtsbrowncountyohio.org/homeCP.php

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Brown County Probate & Juvenile Court (Juvenile Division)
510 East State Street, Georgetown, OH 45121, Georgetown, OH 45121
Phone: (937) 378-6726
Hours: Monday–Friday 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM

Annulment is the right path if…

You believe the marriage was void or voidable under R.C. 3105.31, not just unhappy.
There are grounds like bigamy, fraud, force, being underage, or inability to consummate.
You can prove the specific statutory ground within its time limit.
You meet Ohio's residency requirement (6 months in Ohio, 90 days in Brown County).

Filing Fees

$250 DR complaint deposit (same Local Rule 4 category as a divorce) · +$45 special-works assessment · annulment grounds are narrow and fact-intensive — confirm current amounts with the Clerk at (937) 378-3100

Forms & Filing Packets

Annulment complaint packet — $250 deposit (+$45 special-works)

The complaint is drafted to plead the specific R.C. 3105.31 ground. File it with the standard Local Rule 31 affidavits (Income and Expenses, Property).

Affidavit of Income & Expenses (Ohio SC Affidavit 1) — Income, expenses, and basic financial information. Each party files their own. Must be notarized.
Affidavit of Property (Ohio SC Affidavit 2) — Lists every asset and debt. Required at filing.
Fee Waiver Packet (Poverty Affidavit + Affidavit of Indigency + Motion to Proceed in Forma Pauperis) — File this Domestic Relations fee-waiver packet (found under FORMS / Miscellaneous via the division drop-down) if you cannot afford the deposit; the Clerk forwards it to the Magistrate/Judge for review.

Add child-related affidavits

If there are minor children, add the UCCJEA Parenting Proceeding Affidavit, the Health Insurance Affidavit, and a child-support worksheet so the court can address custody and support.

Parenting Proceeding / UCCJEA Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 3) — Required in any case with minor children. Lists where each child has lived for the last 5 years, confirming Ohio's UCCJEA jurisdiction.
Health Insurance Affidavit (Ohio SC Affidavit 4) — Discloses whether health insurance is available for the children through either parent's employer, so the court can order medical support.
Ohio Child Support Computation Worksheet (2024 Income Shares) — Run the official Ohio Child Support Calculator, print, and sign. Required any time the court sets or changes support.

How to File Annulment in Brown County

Confirm you have grounds. Identify a specific R.C. 3105.31 ground — bigamy, being underage without consent, fraud, force, or inability to consummate — and confirm you are within its time limit.
Have the complaint drafted. Because annulment is fact-intensive, draft (usually with an attorney) a complaint pleading the statutory ground, plus the Local Rule 31 affidavits.
File with the Clerk and pay $250. File in the Brown County General & Domestic Relations Division through the Clerk of Courts and request service on the other spouse.
Prove the grounds at the hearing. The court holds a hearing and determines whether the statutory grounds exist before declaring the marriage void or voidable.

Brown County Practice Notes

Annulment requires narrow statutory grounds. An annulment is not easier than a divorce — it requires proving a specific R.C. 3105.31 ground (bigamy, being underage without consent, fraud, force, or inability to consummate) with narrow time limits, that the marriage was void or voidable. It is not available merely because a marriage was short. Many such cases proceed as divorces instead.
Same DR filing category and affidavits. Brown County's Local Rule 4 sets a single $250 deposit for a divorce, alimony, or annulment complaint — there is no separate annulment fee. The Local Rule 31 sworn Property and Financial Statement and the standard DR affidavits still apply, and the case is filed on the 1st floor of the Clerk of Courts at 101 S. Main St., Georgetown.

Frequently Asked Questions

How is an annulment different from a divorce in Brown County?: An annulment (R.C. 3105.31) declares that a marriage was never valid — for grounds such as bigamy, being underage without consent, fraud, force, or inability to consummate — rather than ending a valid marriage. The grounds and time limits are narrow and fact-intensive, and many cases that feel like grounds for annulment proceed as divorces instead. It is filed in the General & Domestic Relations Division at the same $250 Local Rule 4 deposit category as a divorce; it is not necessarily cheaper or faster.
How much does it cost to file a Domestic Relations case in Brown County?: Under Common Pleas Local Rule 4, a divorce, alimony, or annulment complaint carries a $250 deposit (a dissolution petition is also $250), plus a $45 special-works assessment, +$25 for a home investigation when there are children, and +$150 for service by publication. Post-decree DR motions are $100 each and objections to a magistrate's decision are $150. These are deposits against costs, not flat totals — pay the Clerk by cash, money order, or personal/certified check (no credit cards). Confirm current amounts at (937) 378-3100.
Does legal separation end my marriage in Brown County?: No. A legal separation (R.C. 3105.17) lets the General & Domestic Relations Division divide property and order support and a parenting arrangement while you stay legally married, so neither spouse may remarry. People choose it for religious, insurance, or personal reasons, or when divorce residency isn't yet met. Procedurally it tracks a divorce — a Complaint for Legal Separation, the Local Rule 31 Property and Financial Statement, service, temporary orders, and a final hearing — and the $250 deposit and parenting-class requirement apply when there are minor children.
Do I file in Domestic Relations or Juvenile Court in Brown County?: If you are or were married to the other parent, custody, parenting time, and support are decided in your divorce, dissolution, or legal separation in the General & Domestic Relations Division of the Court of Common Pleas, 101 S. Main St., Georgetown ((937) 378-3233). If you were never married, parentage, custody, parenting time, and support are handled in the combined Probate & Juvenile Court at 510 E. State St., Georgetown ((937) 378-6726). Non-parent (grandparent/relative) custody is always filed in the Juvenile Division.

Free Local Resources in Brown County

Brown County Clerk of Courts (Common Pleas / Domestic Relations). Court House Square, 101 S. Main St., Georgetown — Civil and Domestic filings on the 1st floor. Main (937) 378-3100; verified record line (937) 378-4740; fax/electronic-transmission filing (937) 378-1753. Payment by cash, money order, personal check, or certified check — no credit cards.
Brown County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). Director Deborah Forsythe. 510 E. State St., Georgetown, OH 45121. Phone (937) 378-6414; fax (937) 378-2552; hours Mon–Fri 7:30 AM–4:00 PM. Establishes, modifies, and enforces support and can establish paternity administratively (free genetic testing if ordered).
Helping Children Cope with Family Separation (parenting program). Mandatory $60 online (Zoom) class for any divorce, dissolution, or legal separation with minor children (Local Rule 31.5), run with Lifespan Solutions. Register and pay by card at 513-324-3999, or mail a $60 money order to Lifespan Solutions, 7672 Montgomery Road #153, Cincinnati, OH 45236 at least two weeks before the class.
Brown County Law Library / Georgetown Public Library. Public legal research at the Georgetown Public Library, 200 West Grant Ave., Georgetown (court staff cannot give legal advice). Ohio statewide child-abuse hotline (855) 642-4453 routes to the Brown County Public Children Services Agency.

Related to your annulment case

Spousal Support — Pursue or respond to alimony requests during and after divorce.
Paternity & Custody — Establish parentage and build a parenting plan that protects your children.
Child Support — Calculate, establish, or modify support under Ohio's guidelines.

Related guides

In-depth, attorney-written guides on annulment and related Ohio family law topics.

Divorce vs. Dissolution in Ohio: Which Path Is Right for You? — Divorce and dissolution both end an Ohio marriage, but they work very differently. Dissolution is a no-fault, agreed process; divorce is a lawsuit for couples who can't agree. Here's how to choose.
How to File for Divorce in Ohio: A Step-by-Step Guide — Filing for divorce in Ohio follows a defined path: confirm residency, choose your grounds, file the complaint, serve your spouse, and work toward temporary orders and a final decree. Here is how each step works.

Keep exploring

Ohio Annulment guide — Statewide overview of annulment in Ohio.
Cincinnati family law — Local attorneys and courts serving the Cincinnati metro.
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