Where do I file a stepparent adoption in Ross County?

You file in the Ross County Probate Court — the Probate side of the combined Ross County Probate & Juvenile Court — at 2 N. Paint St., Suite A, Chillicothe, OH 45601. The Probate Division phone is (740) 774-1179. The office is open Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM; closed legal holidays.

How much does an adoption cost in Ross County?

Ross County's published Probate fees are $250 for a step-parent, agency, individual, or court-placement adoption; $179 for an adult adoption; and $184 for a foreign adoption (effective 12/13/2023, subject to change). Confirm the current amount with the Probate Court, and remember attorney fees, if you hire counsel, are separate.

Do I need the other parent's consent?

Usually yes. A stepparent or kinship adoption generally requires the consent of the child's other legal parent. The court can find consent is not required in limited situations — for example, where a parent has failed without justifiable cause to communicate with or support the child for at least a year (R.C. 3107.07).

Is adoption the same as custody?

No. Adoption is permanent: it makes the adopting person the child's legal parent and ends a former parent's rights. Legal custody to a grandparent or relative (handled in the Juvenile Division) does not end anyone's parental rights. Adoption is the only one of the two that creates a new, permanent legal parent.

Which forms do I use to adopt in Ross County?

The Probate Court does not publish its own adoption petitions — it directs filers to the State of Ohio's standardized probate (adoption) forms. A minor adoption starts with Form 18.0 plus the Consent to Adoption (Form 18.3); an adult adoption uses Form 19.0. To request a fee waiver, use the court's Civil Fee Waiver and Affidavit of Indigency on its Probate forms page.

Do I need a home study for a stepparent adoption?

Stepparent adoptions are sometimes exempted from a full home study by statute, but the court may still require a background check or a report. Because requirements vary by case, confirm what the Ross County Probate Court needs in your specific case before filing.

Do I need a lawyer to adopt in Ross County?

You are not required to hire a lawyer, and the standardized forms are available to file on your own. Because contested consent, excused-consent findings, and kinship placements can be complex and the decree is permanent, many families work with an Ohio family-law attorney to make sure the adoption holds up. Court staff cannot give legal advice or help complete forms.

Stepparent & Kinship Adoption in Ross County

Reviewed by Stephanie Green · Managing Partner & Co-Founder · Last updated June 17, 2026

You file a Petition for Adoption (Ohio standardized Form 18.0 for a minor) in the Ross County Probate Court at 2 N. Paint St., Suite A, Chillicothe, OH 45601, (740) 774-1179. You must address the other legal parent's consent — obtain it (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). The court sets a hearing, may require an assessment (home study), and, if it finds the adoption is in the child's best interest, enters the final decree of adoption. The published step-parent adoption fee is $250, paid in person or online through nCourt.

Ross County Probate Court

2 N. Paint St., Suite A, Chillicothe, OH 45601. Phone (740) 774-1179, fax (740) 774-3711. Judge J. Jeffrey Benson presides over the Ross County Probate & Juvenile Court. Open Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM; closed legal holidays. Court website. Court adoption page. Ohio Supreme Court probate forms.

Who this is for

You are a stepparent who wants to adopt your spouse's child and make it legal and permanent.
You are a relative — a grandparent, aunt, uncle, or other kin — adopting a child already in your care.
The child's other legal parent will consent to the adoption.
The other parent has failed for at least a year to contact or support the child and you believe their consent can be excused.
You want a permanent legal parent-child relationship, not just legal custody that leaves the parents' rights in place.
You need to understand whether a home study is required before you file.

Official adoption forms

Adoption of a minor (Form 18.x)

The Probate Court does not publish its own adoption petition forms — it directs filers to the Ohio Supreme Court's standardized probate (adoption) forms. Download each from the official 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 stepparent or kinship adoption of a child.
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 finds a parent's consent is excused — for example, a year of no contact or support without justifiable cause.
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

Adult adoption & foreign recognition (Form 19.x)

A kinship adoption of an adult relative uses the shorter 19.x set, decided with a single final order. Use 19.2–19.3 to have Ohio recognize an adoption completed abroad.

Fee waiver (Ross County Probate forms)

If you cannot afford the filing fee, the Probate Court's own fee-waiver paperwork is on its Probate forms page: https://www.rossprobatejuvenile.com/Probate.htm

Civil Fee Waiver — Ask the court to let you file without paying the adoption fee up front.
Probate Financial Affidavit & Affidavit of Indigency — Shows the court you qualify for a fee waiver.

Ross County's published Probate filing fees (effective 12/13/2023, subject to change) are $250.00 for a step-parent, agency, individual, or court-placement adoption; $179.00 for an adult adoption; and $184.00 for a foreign adoption. Pay in person at the court or online through nCourt (http://www.ncourt.com/ncourtlanding/OHRossCountyLanding.aspx). Confirm the current amount with the Probate Court at (740) 774-1179 before you file, and ask about the Civil Fee Waiver / Affidavit of Indigency if you cannot afford the fee.

Step by step

Confirm adoption is what you want Adoption permanently makes you the child's legal parent and ends a former parent's rights. That is different from legal custody to a non-parent (Juvenile Division), which does not end anyone's parental rights. Make sure adoption is the right tool for your family.
Address the other parent's consent A stepparent or kinship adoption generally needs the consent of the child's other legal parent (Form 18.3). If a parent has failed without justifiable cause to communicate with or support the child for at least one year, the law (R.C. 3107.07) may excuse that consent — you plead the basis and the court decides (Form 18.4).
Find out whether a home study is required Stepparent adoptions are sometimes exempted from a full home study by statute, but the court may still require a background check or report. Confirm with the Probate Court what your specific case needs before you file.
File the Petition for Adoption and pay the fee File the Petition for Adoption (Form 18.0 for a minor; Form 19.0 for an adult) with the required consents at the Ross County Probate Court, 2 N. Paint St., Suite A, Chillicothe, OH 45601. Pay the filing fee — $250 for a step-parent adoption — in person or online through nCourt.
Attend the final hearing The court sets a hearing and reviews the petition, the consents, and any assessment or background check. The judge decides whether the adoption is in the child's best interest.
Receive the final decree and new birth record If the court approves, it enters the final decree of adoption (Forms 18.6–18.7, or 19.1 for an adult) and a new birth record is prepared, completing the new legal parent-child relationship.

Good to know about Ross County

Adoptions are heard in the Ross County Probate Court, the Probate side of the combined Ross County Probate & Juvenile Court before Judge J. Jeffrey Benson, at 2 N. Paint St., Suite A, Chillicothe, OH 45601. The office is open Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM; closed legal holidays. The court's adoption page is https://www.rossprobatejuvenile.com/Adoption.htm.
Ross County publishes its adoption fees: $250 for a step-parent, agency, individual, or court-placement adoption; $179 for an adult adoption; $184 for a foreign adoption (effective 12/13/2023, subject to change). Pay in person or online through nCourt (http://www.ncourt.com/ncourtlanding/OHRossCountyLanding.aspx); confirm the current amount by calling (740) 774-1179.
If you cannot afford the filing fee, the court's Civil Fee Waiver and Probate Financial Affidavit & Affidavit of Indigency are on its Probate forms page (https://www.rossprobatejuvenile.com/Probate.htm).
Court staff cannot give legal advice or help you complete the forms, and a stepparent adoption usually requires the consent of (or a statutory basis to dispense with the consent of) the non-custodial parent — consult an attorney for the consent analysis.
Adoption records are confidential. Deputy clerks may confirm whether a form is appropriate for filing but cannot tell you which forms to file or how to complete them.

Frequently asked questions

Where do I file a stepparent adoption in Ross County?: You file in the Ross County Probate Court — the Probate side of the combined Ross County Probate & Juvenile Court — at 2 N. Paint St., Suite A, Chillicothe, OH 45601. The Probate Division phone is (740) 774-1179. The office is open Monday–Friday, 8:00 AM – 4:00 PM; closed legal holidays.
How much does an adoption cost in Ross County?: Ross County's published Probate fees are $250 for a step-parent, agency, individual, or court-placement adoption; $179 for an adult adoption; and $184 for a foreign adoption (effective 12/13/2023, subject to change). Confirm the current amount with the Probate Court, and remember attorney fees, if you hire counsel, are separate.
Do I need the other parent's consent?: Usually yes. A stepparent or kinship adoption generally requires the consent of the child's other legal parent. The court can find consent is not required in limited situations — for example, where a parent has failed without justifiable cause to communicate with or support the child for at least a year (R.C. 3107.07).
Is adoption the same as custody?: No. Adoption is permanent: it makes the adopting person the child's legal parent and ends a former parent's rights. Legal custody to a grandparent or relative (handled in the Juvenile Division) does not end anyone's parental rights. Adoption is the only one of the two that creates a new, permanent legal parent.
Which forms do I use to adopt in Ross County?: The Probate Court does not publish its own adoption petitions — it directs filers to the State of Ohio's standardized probate (adoption) forms. A minor adoption starts with Form 18.0 plus the Consent to Adoption (Form 18.3); an adult adoption uses Form 19.0. To request a fee waiver, use the court's Civil Fee Waiver and Affidavit of Indigency on its Probate forms page.
Do I need a home study for a stepparent adoption?: Stepparent adoptions are sometimes exempted from a full home study by statute, but the court may still require a background check or a report. Because requirements vary by case, confirm what the Ross County Probate Court needs in your specific case before filing.
Do I need a lawyer to adopt in Ross County?: You are not required to hire a lawyer, and the standardized forms are available to file on your own. Because contested consent, excused-consent findings, and kinship placements can be complex and the decree is permanent, many families work with an Ohio family-law attorney to make sure the adoption holds up. Court staff cannot give legal advice or help complete forms.

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