How to File Paperwork for Adoption in Ohio
Families in Ohio choose to adopt a child for a variety of reasons, from new parents starting a family to stepparents wishing to adopt their stepchildren. Prospective adoptive parents who have a child they wish to adopt and have completed all pre-adoption requirements, such as a home study, must file paperwork with an Ohio court stating that they wish to adopt before the adoption proceedings will take place. After the paperwork has been submitted, the court is able to begin the adoption process.
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Instructions
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Choose a lawyer or an adoption agency to aid in the adoption process. According to the Ohio Revised Code, only attorneys or adoption agencies are allowed to set up an adoption and file adoption paperwork.
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Determine which court to file the petition with. The petition must be filed in the county probate court where the child was born, where the person petitioning for adoption lives or where the adoption agency is located in cases where the agency has custody of the child, according to the Ohio Revised Code.
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Complete the petition for adoption. Each county probate court has its own version of the "Petition for Adoption of Minor" form that must be completed to file paperwork to start the adoption proceedings. The form can be requested through the county probate court's office. The form includes the adopted person's date of birth, current name, name after adoption, the date of placement and the person who placed the child for adoption and an estimated value of the adopted person's property. The form also requires the petitioner's name, age, address and length of residence, marital status, relation to the person being adopted, proof of ability to care for the adopted child and if necessary the names and addresses of any persons who must consent to the adoption.
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File the petition with the court. Ohio Revised Code requires in most cases that paperwork for adopting a child must be filed within 90 days of the child being placed in the adoptive home. Contact the probate court in which the petition must be filed for its exact requirements regarding when and how the petition must be filed with the court.
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Tips & Warnings
Petitions filed with the wrong court may be dismissed or sent to the appropriate court.
References
Resources
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