Annulment in Ross County

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

Ross County, Ohio · Chillicothe

An annulment is a court declaration that a marriage was never valid — for example bigamy, fraud, or an underage marriage without consent. It is distinct from divorce and dissolution and is heard in the General Division of the Ross County Court of Common Pleas.

How do I file for an annulment in Ross County, Ohio?

An annulment is heard in the General Division of the Ross County Court of Common Pleas. Because there are no Ohio uniform annulment complaints, an annulment is typically an attorney-drafted complaint filed with the standard financial affidavits (Affidavits 1 and 2), parenting affidavits where children are involved (Affidavits 3 and 4), and the Confidential Disclosure of Personal Identifiers Form. The deposit is $400. Annulment grounds are narrow and carry time limits (e.g., bigamy, fraud, underage without consent, incompetence); if none applies, a divorce is the right path. File through the Clerk of Courts, 2 N. Paint St., Suite B, Chillicothe, (740) 702-3010.

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: Ross County Court of Common Pleas, General Division

2 N. Paint Street, Chillicothe, OH 45601
Phone: (740) 702-3032
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (closed legal holidays)
Website: www.rosscountycommonpleas.org/

Juvenile Branch (Never-Married Parents)

Ross County Court of Common Pleas, Probate/Juvenile Division
2 N. Paint Street, Suite A, Chillicothe, OH 45601
Phone: (740) 774-1177
Hours: Monday–Friday, 8:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m. (closed legal holidays)

Annulment is the right path if…

You believe your marriage was never legally valid.
Your situation fits a narrow ground such as bigamy, fraud, or underage marriage.
You are within the time limit for that ground.
You want a declaration the marriage was void, not a divorce ending a valid one.

If no annulment ground fits, a divorce ends a valid marriage instead. Compare divorce.

Filing Fees

$400 annulment deposit · investigation $100 where a child under 18 is involved · fee waiver by affidavit · confirm current amounts with the Clerk at (740) 702-3010

Forms & Filing Packets

Annulment filing packet — $400 deposit

Because there is no uniform annulment form, file an attorney-drafted complaint with the financial affidavits and the Confidential Disclosure of Personal Identifiers Form; the deposit is $400.

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.
Confidential Disclosure of Personal Identifiers Form (Local Rule 20.07) — Required with every Domestic Relations pleading under General Division Local Rule 20.07. Lists protected personal identifiers (SSNs, account numbers) and is filed under seal. Obtain it from the Clerk of Courts.
General Division Forms Page (Ross County Common Pleas) — The General Division's central forms page. The General Division of the Ross County Court of Common Pleas hears all divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment cases — there is no separate Domestic Relations court.

Annulment with minor children — $400 deposit

Where children are involved, add the Parenting Proceeding Affidavit and Health Insurance Affidavit; an investigation may be ordered where a child under 18 is involved (Local Rule 20.05).

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.
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.
Confidential Disclosure of Personal Identifiers Form (Local Rule 20.07) — Required with every Domestic Relations pleading under General Division Local Rule 20.07. Lists protected personal identifiers (SSNs, account numbers) and is filed under seal. Obtain it from the Clerk of Courts.

How to File Annulment in Ross County

Confirm you have a ground. Check whether your marriage fits a narrow annulment ground (bigamy, fraud, underage without consent, incompetence) and whether you're within the time limit.
Draft the complaint. Because there is no uniform form, have an annulment complaint drafted to your facts and confirm the pleading format with the Clerk.
Add the affidavits. Include the financial affidavits (Affidavits 1 and 2), parenting affidavits where children are involved, and the Confidential Disclosure of Personal Identifiers Form.
File with the $400 deposit. File at the Clerk of Courts, 2 N. Paint St., Suite B, Chillicothe, and pay the $400 deposit (or file a Fee Waiver Affidavit).
Prove the ground at hearing. Present your proof of the annulment ground; if the court declares the marriage void, it can still address property and parenting.

Ross County Practice Notes

No separate Domestic Relations court. Divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment are heard by the General Division of the Ross County Court of Common Pleas — there is no separate Domestic Relations division. Two courtrooms preside: Courtroom 1 (Judge Michael M. Ater) and Courtroom 2 (Judge Matthew S. Schmidt), with Magistrates John DiCesare and Jennifer L. Ater. File through the Clerk of Courts, 2 N. Paint St., Suite B, Chillicothe, (740) 702-3010.
Confidential Disclosure of Personal Identifiers required (Local Rule 20.07). Every Domestic Relations pleading must include a completed Confidential Disclosure of Personal Identifiers Form under General Division Local Rule 20.07; it is filed under seal. Obtain the form from the Clerk of Courts' legal-forms page.
One corroborating witness; investigation for children. Under General Division Local Rule 20.04, only one corroborating witness with personal knowledge is required at a divorce hearing. Where a child under 18 is involved, the court may order an investigation (Local Rule 20.05), which carries a $100 deposit on the Clerk's schedule.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does a legal separation or annulment cost to file in Ross County?: Both a legal separation and an annulment carry a $400 General Division deposit per the Clerk's schedule. A fee waiver is available by affidavit (Local Rule 4.04). Confirm the current amount with the Clerk at (740) 702-3010.
Which court handles family-law cases in Ross County?: The General Division of the Ross County Court of Common Pleas (2 N. Paint St., Chillicothe) hears all divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment cases — there is no separate Domestic Relations court. The combined Probate/Juvenile Court (2 N. Paint St., Suite A) handles unmarried-parent parentage, custody, support, and parenting time (Juvenile, under R.C. 2151.23) and adoptions (Probate). Cases are filed through the Clerk of Courts at (740) 702-3010.
Who are the family-law judges in Ross County?: The General Division has two courtrooms: Courtroom 1 — Judge Michael M. Ater, and Courtroom 2 — Judge Matthew S. Schmidt, with Magistrates John DiCesare and Jennifer L. Ater hearing many domestic matters. The combined Probate/Juvenile Court is presided over by Judge J. Jeffrey Benson.
Can I file in Ross County without paying the deposit?: Yes, if you cannot afford it. File a Financial Disclosure / Fee Waiver Affidavit with the Clerk. Under General Division Local Rule 4.04 the Clerk accepts your filing without a deposit; if the court later denies the waiver, you have 30 days to pay the deposit.

Free Local Resources in Ross County

Ross County Clerk of Courts (General Division / Domestic Relations). 2 N. Paint St., Suite B, Chillicothe, OH 45601; (740) 702-3010. Files all divorce, dissolution, legal separation, and annulment cases, posts the legal forms and the Divorce/Dissolution checklist, and confirms current deposits. Online payment via nCourt; records via eAccess. The General Division hears all DR matters — there is no separate Domestic Relations court.
LegalAtoms — free guided divorce & dissolution prep. https://legalatoms.com/ross/ — the Clerk's free, guided tool (English and Spanish) that prepares Ross County divorce and dissolution paperwork to print and file. It does not give legal advice.
Families in Transition (FiT) parenting class. The Child Protection Center, 138 Marietta Road, Suite E, Chillicothe; (740) 779-7431. Required within 60 days in any divorce/dissolution or custody/companionship-modification with minor children (Local Rule 20.12; Juvenile County Rule 13). Fee $25 (exact cash or PayPal); certificate valid one year. Confirm current class dates when registering.
Ross County Probate/Juvenile Court. 2 N. Paint St., Suite A, Chillicothe; (740) 774-1177 or (740) 774-1179 (https://www.rossprobatejuvenile.com/). Judge J. Jeffrey Benson. Hears unmarried-parent parentage, custody, support, and parenting time (Juvenile) and adoptions (Probate), using local Forms 11 and 20–31.
Ross County Child Support Enforcement Agency (CSEA). 475 Western Ave, Ste. B, Chillicothe, OH 45601; (740) 773-2651 (https://jfs.ohio.gov/about/local-agencies-directory/csea-ross). Administrator Rick Reynolds. Establishes, calculates, collects, and enforces support; payments are routed through South Central Ohio Job & Family Services (SCOJFS).

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.
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