Basic Adoption
| INFORMATION AND PROCEDURE |
Initial Deposit ( Cash / Check / Money Order Only) $394 filing fee per case $40 Each additional child (If children have the same biological parents) Additional cost if Restricted/ Certified Mail is required Cost for BCI, Paid to the ESC of the Western Reserve Cost for Publication, Paid to the News Herald Basic Adoption Packet Petition for Adoption of Minor Affidavit of Custody of Minors Financial Statement Personal Medical Info Form Form 18.0 Petition for Adoption of Minor Form 18.3 Consent to Adoption Certificate of Adoption Affidavit of Unknown Residence All forms can be mailed to: Lake County Probate Court P.O. Box 490 Painesville, Ohio 44077 Petitioner(s) are REQUIRED to have five (5) letters of recommendation -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 MARK J. BARTOLOTTA, and MUST contain the address of the writer and signature of the writer on this document. -The letter should be sealed in its own envelope, and marked “personal and confidential” CERTIFIED birth certificate for each person being adopted 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 Court Appointed Assessor When you receive your hearing notice in the mail, you will also receive a form that has your assessor’s name and phone number, contact the assessor (THIS RESPONSIBILITY IS YOURS). 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 copied of support orders for children from previous marriage BCI&I Each petitioner is required to have a criminal background check completed in order to adopt. ESC of the Western Reserve, https://www.lakeesc.org/Fingerprinting.aspx 8221 Auburn Road Concord Twp., Ohio 44077 **You must schedule an appointment # 440-350-2563, ext. 788. 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 Reasonable diligence includes providing the Court with that parent’s last known address, even if that address is several years old. 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 Putative Father 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 Putative Father Registry Form: www.odjfs.state.oh.us/forms Online Putative Father Registry Search http://pfr-pub.jfs.ohio.gov/WedForms/Search.aspx Publication 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 |