Lake County Court of Common Pleas
 Probate Division

Ted Klammer, Probate Judge 

Lake County
Probate Court
25 North Park Place
Painesville, OH 44077

Phone:      (440) 350-2626
West End: (440) 918-2626
Fax:            (440) 350-2628
West End: (440) 918-2628


Hours of Service:
Monday-Friday
7:30 am to 5 pm*

*Closed on holidays
observed by
Lake County

BASIC ADOPTION

Procedure:

• These forms MUST be typed.
• Petitioner(s) are REQUIRED to have five (5) letters of recommendation at the time of filing for the adoption.
• Only two (2) of these letters are permitted to be from relatives on either side of the family.
• These letters are to be addressed to JUDGE TED KLAMMER, and MUST contain the address of the writer.
• The letter should be sealed in its own envelope, and marked “personal and confidential.”
• At the time of filing we require a CERTIFIED birth certificate for each person to be adopted (the Court will not return the birth certificate so please make a copy for yourself).
• Consents to Adoption MUST be notarized and submitted at the same time as all other paperwork.
• PLEASE NOTE: THE ABOVE REQUIREMENTS MUST BE MET OR WE CANNOT ACCEPT YOUR PETITION.

• When you receive your hearing notice in the mail, you will also receive a form that has your Court appointed assessor’s name and phone number. Please contact the assessor as soon as possible. THIS RESPONSIBILITY IS YOURS!

• BCI&I-Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation
• Each petitioner is required to have a criminal background check completed in order to adopt. You must go to the Lake County Educational Service Center to have these prints taken.  There is a $30.00 fee for this service.  Information regarding the prints will be sent along with your hearing notice.  DO NOT complete the prints prior to filing for the adoption. 

• If a last known address of the natural parent(s) is known, even if it is an old address, Probate Court must serve them at that address.

• If no address is known, then an Affidavit of Unknown Residence must be filed with the Court.
• When the petitioner uses the Affidavit of Unknown Residence, the petitioner and natural parent are stating under oath that the residence of the natural, nonresidential parent is not known and cannot be ascertained with “reasonable diligence.”
• Reasonable diligence includes providing the Court with that parent’s last known address, even if that address is several years old. It also includes, but is not limited to, checking with Child Support Enforcement Agency, if involved, and contacting the nonresidential parent’s family.
• The court must be satisfied that the petitioner exercised reasonable diligence in ascertaining the nonresidential parent’s whereabouts and will inquire at the hearing regarding these efforts.

• If the child was born after January 1, 1997, and there is no father’s name on the birth certificate or paternity was never established, a search of the Ohio Putative Father Registry is required and Probate Court needs the response from the Registry of the search prior to the filing of the adoption petition. This search is free and forms can be obtained from Probate Court.

• FBI-Federal Bureau of Investigation –The State also requires a FBI check if the petitioner(s) has not been a resident of Ohio continuously for the last five (5) years. You must go to the Lake County Educational Service Center to have these prints taken.  There is a $35.00 fee for this service.  Information regarding the prints will be sent along with your hearing notice.  DO NOT complete the prints prior to filing for the adoption. 

• The publication fee is paid to the News Herald directly.
  • This notice is published in the classifieds once a week for three consecutive weeks.
  • Probate Court will prepare the publication notice but the attorney or the petitioner(s) are responsible to have it published.

• Information regarding your assessment:
  • Ohio law requires you to be placed under oath before the assessment begins.
  • Each person in the household must be interviewed privately.
  • The child/children will be asked if they want to be adopted (if you have questions about this, please discuss it with the assessor prior to your appointment).

• Items required for assessment:
  • a photo I.D. for the petitioner(s) and spouse, if any;
  • a certified copy of petitioner’s marriage license, if applicable;
  • certified copies of any and all divorce papers;
  • certified copies of support orders for children from previous marriage.

Forms:

• Affidavit of Custody for Minors
• Affidavit of Unknown Residence
• Financial Statement
• Personal and Medical Information Form
• Form 18.0 Petition for Adoption of Minor
• Form 18.3 Consent to Adoption

Fees: