About Probate Court

The Probate Court presides over such matters as Last Will and Testaments, the administration of estates, minor and incompetent guardianships, conservatorships, trusts, adoptions, mental illness cases, marriage licenses, name changes, corrections of birth records, minor's settlements, disinterment of graves, and other various civil proceedings. In addition, the Court hears litigation issues in all the above matters. The Probate Court has over two hundred duties assigned by the enactment of statutory laws.

A unique aspect of the Probate Court is that the Probate Judge is the ex-officio Clerk of Courts, thus, the Court performs all the duties as its own Clerk of Courts (indexing, filing, docketing, microfilming, etc.).

Probate proceedings are complex and require detailed knowledge of Ohio statutes, rules and regulations. The Mercer County Probate Court encourages you to retain legal counsel from an attorney experienced in probate law. The Court and its Deputy Clerks are prohibited by law from assisting you with legal advice pertaining to your case, including determining what forms are required and how to complete the forms.