Marriage, Birth, and Death Record books will be unavailable at the Probate Court starting Tuesday, October 31st, as we digitize records. All record requests should be made to the deputy clerks, either in person or via email. Records should be available within 24 hours of the request. We are sorry for any inconvenience this may cause.
Ottawa County Probate and Juvenile Court Mission Statement
The mission of the Ottawa County Probate and Juvenile Court is to provide efficient, fair, and quality services to the people of Ottawa County. We are committed to protecting the rights and safety of our citizens, working cooperatively with all community resources, and improving the lives of children and families.
Effective January 2017 a certified copy of a death certificate is required when filing all estates, including a summary release.
Notice: It is recommended that you make an appointment to obtain a marriage license. Please call (419) 734-6830 to make an appointment.
General Orders for the Continued Operation of the Court
In order to minimize the effects of the ongoing coronavirus emergency, the Ottawa County Probate and Juvenile Court issue the following General Orders:
- The Local Rules of the Court may be temporarily adapted to allow court flexibility as necessary.
- The Court authorized the use of audio-visual devices and technologies for all actions and proceedings.
- The public health emergency may be considered a finding of “just cause” for continuances deemed necessary by the judge and/or the magistrate on a case-by-case basis.
- The judge and/or magistrate may serve orders by email notification and use video and telephone conferencing.
- Any proceedings conducted electronically where a record is desired or necessary, the Court and parties may jointly craft a statement in lieu of a transcript of the proceedings in accordance with the appellate rules.
- All filings will be accepted by in-person, U.S. Mail, and Fax with the exception of filing a new case in probate court. A new case filing would need to be in-person or by U.S. Mail with the original death certificate and the original will attached. Filing fees paid by check can be mailed, or fees can be paid electronically through the nCourt payment system (See “Pay Online” button on the Juvenile and Probate websites).
Juvenile Court Fax: (419) 734-6851 Probate Court Fax: (419) 732-8147
- Probate will continue to accept filings by email.
To email Probate filings:
- All hearings, pretrial conferences, status conferences, review hearings, and other court proceedings shall be conducted by telephone and/or video conferencing. Assignment notices with procedural instructions will be provided to the parties and necessary participants.
All until further order of the Court.
IT IS SO ORDERED.
JUDGE FREDERICK C. HANY II