Adoption in Noble County Probate Court

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 16, 2026

You file a Petition for Adoption in the Noble County Probate Court at 320 Court House, Caldwell, OH 43724, reached through the Common Pleas office at (740) 732-4408. A minor adoption begins with Form 18.0 (Petition for Adoption of Minor); an adult adoption uses Form 19.0; and a foreign adoption is recognized with Form 19.2. You then address consent — obtain the other legal parent's consent (Form 18.3) or plead the legal basis to excuse it under R.C. 3107.07 — complete any required assessment or home study, and attend the final hearing. If the court finds the adoption is in the child's best interest, it issues the final decree of adoption and a new birth record is prepared.

Noble County Probate Court

320 Court House, Caldwell, OH 43724. Phone (740) 732-4408. One judge presides over all divisions. Open Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday & Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM; Thursday, 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM (no Thursday afternoon session). Court website. Ohio Supreme Court probate forms.

Who this is for

  • You are a stepparent adopting your spouse's child and need the court to make it legal and permanent.
  • You are a relative or kinship caregiver who wants to adopt a child already living in your home.
  • You need to address the other legal parent's consent — or show the court why that consent should be excused.
  • You want to understand the difference between adoption (Probate Division) and legal custody to a non-parent (Juvenile Division).
  • You need to know exactly where and how to file an adoption in Caldwell, and what it will carries a deposit.

What it costs — two ways to hire us

Limited scope, flat fee — Flat fee $4,000

You hire us for a defined piece of the work — drafting and filing your adoption paperwork, a single hearing, a specific motion — at a fixed, published price. The court's filing fee is paid to the Clerk of Courts separately. The number you see is the number you pay at checkout. What each flat fee covers.

Full representation — $3,500 retainer to start

An attorney manages the whole case — strategy, filings, hearings, negotiation. The retainer is known before you sign and is a deposit against work, not the total cost; the total depends on how contested your case becomes. You watch every dollar of it in real time. How full representation is billed.

Is there financing? Yes.

Split any flat fee with Gavvl Direct — our in-house plan at 19% APR, $500 minimum — on a 60%-down schedule of 18 weekly, 8 bi-weekly, or 4 monthly payments, or full financing where work begins once 60% is paid. Affirm, Klarna, and PayPal Pay Later are also available through LawPay. See every financing option.

Real people, — with direct lines

Your consultation

Stephanie Green or Elizabeth Warren, our managing partners — or Niva Elgin, our senior case manager and a licensed New Mexico attorney. They've heard hundreds of situations like yours and will tell you plainly what you need, and what you don't. Meet the firm.

Your attorney

One of our Of Counsel Ohio family-law attorneys is your attorney for the case — from the first strategy call to the final order in Noble County. You have their name and a direct line the day your file opens. Our attorneys.

Your case team

Niva Elgin keeps your case moving as Senior Case Manager. Madeline Wampler, Certified Paralegal, handles documents and scheduling. Erin Schultz, Finance Manager, handles billing and payment plans. Real people who answer when you call.

  • 95+ five-star Google reviews
  • 60+ years of combined Ohio family-law experience
  • Super Lawyers Rising Stars honorees on the team: Elizabeth Warren (2021–2023) and Samantha Berkhofer (2019–2021)
  • Every flat fee published before you call

From first call to retained, — and every step after

  1. Consultation — A 30-minute phone call, $25. You talk with Stephanie Green, Elizabeth Warren, or Niva Elgin about what's happening and what Ohio law actually does with it. Before you hang up you'll know whether you need a lawyer at all — and if you do, you leave with a written quote: the service we recommend, the price, your financing options, and your next steps.
  2. Choose — Pick the level of help. Pay, or set up financing. Limited-scope flat fee or full representation — you choose, with real numbers in front of you. Pay online, or secure a Gavvl Direct payment plan or third-party financing in a few minutes. Nothing is billed until you decide.
  3. Sign — Your agreement arrives by email. Review the client agreement and sign it electronically — from your phone if you like. While you do, your attorney reviews your intake.
  4. Get started — Your first attorney call goes on the calendar. Limited scope: your attorney's first call is scheduled from your intake. Full representation: a paralegal reaches out the same or next business day to open your file and gather what's needed, then schedules your first attorney call — and if something is urgent, you speak with the attorney first.

It's easier than ever to retain an excellent attorney.

How you'll stay updated — you never have to wonder

Every client gets GavvLink™, our client portal, on day one. Your whole case — messages, calendar, billing, status — lives in one place, and your team is a message away.

  • Reach your attorney directly. Message, text, email, or call. Request a callback or book time on their calendar yourself — no waiting to hear back.
  • Case calendar with reminders. Every hearing, deadline, and milestone, with a reminder before each one.
  • Case status updates. See where your case stands and what happens next, updated as it moves.
  • Payments and billing in real time. Every entry on your account as it posts, plus links to make a payment or add funds.
  • Your case team, one message away. Full-representation clients message their paralegal and case manager the same way — and they answer.
  • 24/7 receptionists and direct lines. Something urgent after hours? A live receptionist answers around the clock and reaches your team. You also have your attorney's direct line — and a way to reach the managing partners. We return calls and messages promptly.

Frequently asked questions

Which forms do I need for an adoption in Noble County?

Adoption of a minor (18.x forms)

Noble County does not keep its own adoption-forms library — it uses the Ohio Supreme Court's standardized probate (adoption) forms. Download the current PDFs from the Supreme Court of Ohio probate forms page: https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/forms/all-forms/probate/5

Adoption of an adult (19.x forms)

Adult adoptions use a shorter set of forms and are decided with a single final order.

Recognizing a foreign adoption (19.2–19.3)

Use these to have Ohio recognize an adoption completed in another country and to obtain an Ohio birth record.

Notice to the Child Support Enforcement Agency

When an adoption ends a parent's support obligation, the CSEA is notified.

The Noble County Probate Division does not publish its adoption fee schedule online. Confirm the current adoption deposit — and the added cost if no completed home-study or assessment is filed — by calling the Probate Court at (740) 732-4408 or visiting 320 Court House, Caldwell, OH 43724. If you cannot afford the filing fee, ask the office about an indigency affidavit or fee waiver.

How does an adoption move through the Noble County Probate Court, step by step?
  1. Confirm the Probate Division is the right court Adoption permanently makes you the child's legal parent and ends a former parent's rights — it is filed in the Probate Division. That is very different from legal custody to a relative, which is a Juvenile Division case and does not end anyone's parental rights.
  2. Choose the right petition A minor (stepparent or kinship) adoption starts with Form 18.0; an adult adoption uses Form 19.0; and a foreign adoption is recognized with Form 19.2. Identify your path first, because the forms and steps differ.
  3. Address consent Obtain the other legal parent's consent (Form 18.3) or plead the legal basis to excuse it — for example, where a parent has failed without justifiable cause to communicate with or support the child for at least one year (R.C. 3107.07).
  4. Complete any required assessment or home study A stepparent adoption may be partly exempt by statute, but the court may still require a background check or report. Confirm what your case needs before the hearing.
  5. File the petition and pay the deposit File your petition and supporting forms in the Noble County Probate Court, 320 Court House, Caldwell, OH 43724, and pay the filing fee. Because the division does not publish a fee online, confirm the current amount by calling (740) 732-4408 first.
  6. Attend the final hearing and receive the decree At the hearing the court reviews the petition, the consents, and any report and decides whether the adoption is in the child's best interest. If it is, the judge issues the final decree of adoption (Form 18.6 or 18.7) and a new birth record is prepared.
What should I know about the Noble County Probate Court before I file?
  • In Noble County one judge presides over the General, Probate, and Juvenile Divisions, but each keeps its own courthouse office: file adoptions with the Probate Court at 320 Court House, Caldwell, OH 43724 (custody for unmarried parents is a Juvenile Division case at 280 Court House). Coordinate scheduling through the Common Pleas office at (740) 732-4408.
  • The court closes Thursday at noon — there is no Thursday afternoon session — so plan your filings and calls around the half-day and around the separate division offices in the courthouse complex.
  • Noble County does not maintain its own adoption-forms library or publish an adoption fee online. Use the Ohio Supreme Court's standardized probate (adoption) forms and confirm the current filing fee with the Probate Court at (740) 732-4408 before you file.
Where do I file an adoption in Noble County?
Adoptions are filed in the Noble County Probate Court at 320 Court House, Caldwell, OH 43724. Because one judge handles all divisions, the Probate Court is reached through the Common Pleas office at (740) 732-4408.
Which forms do I need to adopt in Noble County?
Noble County uses the Ohio Supreme Court's standardized probate (adoption) forms. A minor adoption starts with Form 18.0 (Petition for Adoption of Minor) plus a Consent to Adoption (Form 18.3); an adult adoption uses Form 19.0; and a foreign adoption is recognized with Form 19.2. Download the current PDFs from the Supreme Court of Ohio probate forms page.
How does a stepparent adoption work in Noble County?
A stepparent adoption is filed as a minor adoption (Form 18.0). The court generally needs the consent of the child's other legal parent (Form 18.3) unless the law excuses it, addresses any home study or background check, holds a hearing, and then enters a final decree making the stepparent a legal parent.
Do I need the other parent's consent?
Usually yes. The other legal parent generally must consent (Form 18.3) unless the court finds consent is excused — for example, where a parent has failed without justifiable cause to communicate with or support the child for at least one year (R.C. 3107.07).
Is adoption the same as custody?
No. Adoption (Probate Division) is permanent and makes you the child's legal parent, ending a former parent's rights. Legal custody to a non-parent (Juvenile Division) does not end anyone's parental rights. In Noble County the same judge hears both, but they are very different cases.
Do I need a home study?
A stepparent adoption may be partly exempt from the assessment requirement by statute, but the court may still require a background check or report. Requirements vary by case, so confirm what applies to yours with the Probate Court.
How much does an adoption cost in Noble County?
The Probate Division does not publish its adoption fee online. Confirm the current deposit — and the added cost if no completed home-study or assessment is filed — by calling (740) 732-4408 or visiting 320 Court House, Caldwell, OH 43724. Ask about a fee waiver if you cannot afford the filing fee.
Do I need a lawyer to adopt in Noble County?
You are not required to hire a lawyer, and the standardized forms let you file on your own. Because contested consents and excused-consent findings (R.C. 3107.07) can be complex, many families choose to work with an Ohio family-law attorney to make sure the decree holds up.

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