Adoption in Noble County Probate Court

Noble County Probate Court

320 Court House, Caldwell, OH 43724. Phone (740) 732-4408. Judge Kelly A. Riddle 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 cost.

Official adoption forms

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

• Form 18.0 Petition for Adoption of Minor — The petition that opens a minor (stepparent or kinship) adoption case.
• Form 18.1 Judgment Entry Setting Hearing and Ordering Notice
• Form 18.2 Notice of Hearing on Petition for Adoption
• Form 18.3 Consent to Adoption — Consent from a parent or party whose agreement the law requires.
• Form 18.4 Judgment Entry Finding Consent Not Required — Used when the court excuses a parent's consent under R.C. 3107.07.
• Form 18.5 Interlocutory Order of Adoption
• Form 18.6 Final Decree of Adoption (After Interlocutory Order)
• Form 18.7 Final Decree of Adoption (Without Interlocutory Order)
• Form 18.8 Adoption Certificate for Parents
• Form 18.9 Petitioner's Account

Adoption of an adult (19.x forms)

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

• Form 19.0 Petition for Adoption of Adult
• Form 19.1 Final Order of Adoption of Adult

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.

• Form 19.2 Petition to Recognize Foreign Adoption
• Form 19.3 Order for Ohio Birth Record for Foreign Born Child

Notice to the Child Support Enforcement Agency

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

• Form 19.4 Notice to the Child Support Enforcement Agency

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 deposit, ask the office about an indigency affidavit or fee waiver.

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 deposit. 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.

Good to know about Noble County

• In Noble County one judge — Judge Kelly A. Riddle — 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 deposit with the Probate Court at (740) 732-4408 before you file.

Frequently asked questions

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 deposit.

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.