Adoption in Pike County Probate Court

Pike County Probate Court

230 Waverly Plaza, Suite 600, Waverly, OH 45690. Phone (740) 947-2560, fax (740) 941-3086. Open Monday–Friday 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM (closed for lunch 12:00–1:00 PM). Court website. Probate fee schedule.

Who this is for

• You are a stepparent married to the child's legal parent and want to become the child's legal parent.
• You are a grandparent or other relative raising a child and want permanent legal parentage, not just custody.
• You need the court to decide whether the other birth parent's consent is required, or to find consent is not required under R.C. 3107.07.
• You already have a Juvenile custody order and now want to adopt the child on the Probate side of the combined court.
• You are an unwed (putative) father and want to understand your registry and consent rights before an adoption proceeds.
• You are proceeding without a lawyer and need the court's Self-Representation Acknowledgement (Local Rule 75.1).

Pike County adoption forms

Instructions & complete packet

Pike County publishes separate instruction sets for a stepparent/foster-parent petition and for an independent/private or grandparent petition, plus a complete Petition for Adoption of a Minor packet. Start here, then download the individual forms below.

• Instructions — Petition for Adoption of a Minor (Step-Parent or Foster Parent)
• Instructions — Petition for Adoption of a Minor (Independent/Private or Grandparent)
• Complete Petition for Adoption of a Minor Packet
• Home Study Requirements — A home study is required for minor adoptions; some stepparent adoptions are exempt from parts of it — confirm the scope with the court.

Minor adoption forms (18.x)

These are the core forms for adopting a child, including a stepparent or kinship adoption, hosted by the Pike County Probate Court.

• Form 18.0 Petition for Adoption of Minor — The petition that opens a minor 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; a child age 12 or older must also consent.
• Form 18.4 Judgment Entry Finding Consent Not Required — Used when the court finds a consent is not required (e.g., 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

Notice, support agency & birth record

Filed alongside the petition to give notice, alert the child-support agency, and create the new birth record.

• Form 19.4 Notice to the Child Support Enforcement Agency
• Form HEA 2757 Certificate of Adoption — Sent to Vital Statistics so a new birth record can be issued.
• Consent to Adoption (standalone)
• Notice of Hearing on Adoption by Publication — Used when an absent parent must be served by publication.
• Statement of Adopted Person

Fee waiver & self-representation

Use these if you cannot afford the deposit or are proceeding without an attorney.

• Financial Disclosure Form for Indigent Parents — Ask the court to waive or reduce costs if you cannot pay.
• Self-Representation Acknowledgement (Local Rule 75.1) — Required if you proceed without an attorney.

Court costs for a Petition for Adoption are $150.00 (effective April 6, 2022). Home-study fees apply to all minor adoptions and vary by assessor — confirm the current amount with the court. Indigent petitioners may file the Financial Disclosure form to ask the court to waive or reduce costs. Confirm the current figures on the court's fee page (http://www.pikecountypjcourt.com/prbFees.php) or by calling (740) 947-2560 before you file.

Step by step

1. Pick the right packet Pike County publishes separate instruction sets for a stepparent/foster-parent petition and for an independent/private or grandparent petition, plus a complete Petition for Adoption of a Minor packet. Choose the one that matches your situation and use the county's own forms rather than generic ones.
2. File the petition and supporting documents File the Petition for Adoption of a Minor (Form 18.0) and supporting documents at the Pike County Probate Court, 230 Waverly Plaza, Suite 600, Waverly, OH 45690, with the home-study materials and any required consents. The court accepts e-filing through Henschen (https://efile.henschen.com).
3. Handle consent File each living legal parent's Consent to Adoption (Form 18.3 or the standalone consent form); a child age 12 or older must also consent. If a parent's consent is claimed not to be required — for example, failure to support or communicate under R.C. 3107.07 — the court decides that question and may enter a Judgment Entry Finding Consent Not Required (Form 18.4).
4. Complete the home study A home study is required for minor adoptions; it is completed by the county's Children Services agency or an independent assessor. Some stepparent adoptions are exempt from parts of the assessment — confirm the scope with the court.
5. Attend the hearing The court sets a hearing by judgment entry (Form 18.1) and notice (Form 18.2); an absent parent may be served by publication. Adoption hearings and records are confidential. The judge reviews the petition, the consents, and the home study and decides whether the adoption is in the child's best interest.
6. Receive the decree and a new birth record The judge enters an interlocutory order (Form 18.5) and/or a final decree (Form 18.6 or 18.7), an adoption certificate (Form 18.8), and a Certificate of Adoption (HEA 2757) is sent to Vital Statistics so a new birth record can be issued.

Good to know about Pike County

• File at the Pike County Probate Court, 230 Waverly Plaza, Suite 600, Waverly, OH 45690. The Probate division (part of the combined Juvenile & Probate Court, Hon. Paul Price) is open Monday–Friday 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM (closed for lunch 12:00–1:00 PM); reach the Probate Clerk at (740) 947-2560 (fax (740) 941-3086) or probatecourt@pikecounty.oh.gov. Deputy Clerks Misty MacCrae and JoAnne Kearney staff the office.
• Adoptions and name changes are decided on the Probate side of the combined court. Pike County publishes its own adoption instruction packets and forms (http://www.pikecountypjcourt.com/prbFormsAdoption.php); always download the current version before you file, because court staff cannot give legal advice or tell you which form to use.
• The Probate Court accepts e-filing through Henschen (https://efile.henschen.com). Confirm whether your case must be e-filed or filed in person, and the accepted payment methods, with the Probate Clerk at (740) 947-2560 before you file.
• Probate filing fees are posted on the court's fee page (http://www.pikecountypjcourt.com/prbFees.php) and were effective April 6, 2022. Each case is unique, the deposit is an estimate, and additional charges may apply — confirm the current amount with the Probate Court before you file.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I file an adoption in Pike County?

Adoptions are filed in the Pike County Probate Court at 230 Waverly Plaza, Suite 600, Waverly, OH 45690, before Judge Paul Price — the combined Juvenile & Probate Court, which has exclusive jurisdiction over adoptions. The office is open Monday–Friday 8:30 AM – 4:00 PM (closed for lunch 12:00–1:00 PM); reach the Probate Clerk at (740) 947-2560 or probatecourt@pikecounty.oh.gov.

How much does it cost to file an adoption in Pike County?

Court costs for a Petition for Adoption are $150.00 (effective April 6, 2022). Home-study fees apply to all minor adoptions and vary by assessor. A Financial Disclosure form is available for petitioners who cannot pay. Confirm the current figures on the court's fee page or by calling (740) 947-2560.

Which forms do I need to adopt in Pike County?

A minor adoption starts with Form 18.0 (Petition for Adoption of Minor) plus the consent form (Form 18.3) and the entry setting the hearing (Form 18.1). Pike County publishes its own instruction packets and the full 18.x form set on its adoption forms page (http://www.pikecountypjcourt.com/prbFormsAdoption.php). Use the county's own forms and download the current version before you file.

Do I need the other birth parent's consent?

Usually yes. The court generally needs the consent of the child's other living legal parent (Form 18.3), and a child age 12 or older must also consent. Consent may be excused only in limited circumstances under R.C. 3107.07 — for example, a parent's failure without justifiable cause to support or communicate with the child for at least one year. If you allege that, the court decides the question and may enter a Judgment Entry Finding Consent Not Required (Form 18.4).

Do I need a home study for a stepparent adoption?

A home study is required for minor adoptions, though some stepparent adoptions are exempt from parts of it. The court will tell you what your case needs and may appoint an assessor, so confirm the scope with the Probate Court before you file.

Is adoption the same as getting custody in Pike County?

No. Custody — handled on the Juvenile side of the combined court — does not change legal parentage. Adoption, handled on the Probate side, permanently makes you the child's legal parent. A relative who already has a Juvenile custody order files the adoption as a separate Probate case.

Do I need a lawyer to adopt in Pike County?

The Probate Court generally expects adoption parties to be represented by counsel and appoints counsel for indigent parties in certain adoption matters (Local Rule 8.2). If you proceed without a lawyer you must sign the Self-Representation Acknowledgement (Local Rule 75.1). Confirm the current requirement with the court, and consider an Ohio family-law attorney so the decree holds up.