Hamilton County Probate Records

Hamilton County probate records are official documents and other filings that detail legal cases and probate proceedings, including will execution and estate administration, under Hamilton County Probate Court's jurisdiction. Probate is a legal process that administers a decedent's estate, ensuring that taxes and debts are paid before distributing the remaining assets to the beneficiaries and heirs named in their will.

Generally, probate records contain pertinent details about a decedent, including family connections, final wishes regarding how they want their assets to be distributed, and more. As a result, probate records are sought after for genealogical research, resolving estate disputes, identifying a decedent's heirs, and verifying inheritance claims. Some common probate records in Hamilton County include wills, administration dockets, probate journals, and execution dockets. Like other Hamilton County court records, the Local Rules of the Hamilton County Court Of Common Pleas Probate Division govern how probate cases are handled in Hamilton County, including how probate records are produced and maintained.

Are Probate Records Public?

Yes. Under the Ohio Public Record Act and Ohio Supreme Court Rules of Superintendence 45 (4), court records, including probate records, are presumed to be open to the public. As a result, the general public has the right to access Hamilton County probate records by querying the County Probate Court or using resources the court provides.

However, the provisions of the Ohio Public Record Act and Ohio Supreme Court Rules of Superintendence 45 (4) are not absolute. Some types of cases handled by probate cases and court documents are exempt from public disclosure. These include, but are not limited to, records sealed by court order, mental illness civil commitments, adoption records, and child custody paperwork. Personal identifiers, like social security numbers, are also confidential and are redacted from public records by default.

What is Probate Court in Hamilton County?

The Hamilton County Probate Court is a division of the County's Court of Common Pleas that handles cases involving adoptions, estates, guardianship, conservatorship, mental health, name changes, and other probate matters. The Probate Court is also responsible for issuing marriage licenses. The Probate Court's hours of operation are from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm (Monday through Friday). Interested persons can contact the Probate Court at (513) 946-3570 for general inquiries. The Probate Court is located at:

William Howard Taft Center
230 East Ninth Street,
9th and 10th floors
Cincinnati, Ohio 45202

Probate Court Case Lookup

The Hamilton County Probate Court offers different avenues for inquirers to look up Probate Court cases in person and online. Regardless of the avenue, inquirers must supply certain information, such as party name and case number, to identify the desired case and facilitate their inquiry.

In-person lookup

Inquirers can conduct Probate Court Case lookups in person by visiting the Hamilton County Probate Court's file room during regular office hours. The file room is located on the 9th floor of the Probate Court, which is located at William Howard Taft Center.

Online lookup

Interested persons can utilize the Hamilton County Probate Court case search portal to search and view case dockets of public probate cases the court handled.

How to Find Probate Records Online Free

Probate records are accessible online for free through Hamilton County Probate Court's case search portal. On the portal, users can search for court dockets of public probate cases by entering the names of parties involved in the case or the case number as search criteria. Users can also download and print images of court documents within a case's docket through the portal for free.

Third-party aggregate websites that provide court records search services are another viable means of finding Hamilton County probate records online for free. Like their government-provided counterparts, most third-party aggregate websites are searchable by case number or party name. Furthermore, while most third-party websites may provide basic information about probate cases for free, access to detailed probate records is typically subject to a fee.

How Long Does Probate Take in Ohio?

In Ohio, the average time to complete a probate process is between six (6) months and a year. However, different factors can affect this timeline. For instance, probate for large or complex estates and estates involving disputes among beneficiaries can take exceptionally longer (more than a year) to process. Meanwhile, probate for smaller estates or those with uncontested wills is typically processed significantly faster.

Are Wills Public Record?

Yes. Once a will is submitted for probate after a testator's (the writer of the will) passing, it becomes a public record and accessible to anyone. Wills are made public during probate proceedings to ensure that individuals with a vested interest in the estates and assets distributed in the will can access information about their potential rights and inheritance. This generally ensures that the distribution process is conducted fairly and transparently.

Nonetheless, some information a will contains, such as the testator's bank account number and insurance policy number, are usually redacted from public wills due to their sensitive nature. Furthermore, a will is considered confidential during the testator's lifetime. Generally, only certain eligible persons are allowed access to a will during their testator's lifetime. These eligible persons include individuals named in the will, like the testator, heirs, beneficiaries, and executor, and those with a legal interest in the estate distributed in the will.

How to Find Out If Someone Has a Will

In Ohio, the most direct way to determine if someone has a will is to contact or visit the Probate Court in the County where the testator last resided, once lived, or owned property. In most cases, testators file their wills with a Probate Court for safekeeping during their lifetime, and when they die, their will becomes public record. However, in cases where an individual did not file their will with a Probate Court before they died, their estate planning attorney may have the will. In other instances, testators may store their will independently in their homes, electronically on their personal computers or hard drives, or in storage places like bank deposit boxes, individual safes, or storage units.

Meanwhile, if a will has not gone through probate or the testator is still alive, it may not be accessible through the Probate Courts, where it was stored for safekeeping without the testator's permission.

Hamilton County Family Court Case Search

Interested persons can search for Hamilton County Family Court cases online or in person. For online searches, inquirers can use the Hamilton County Clerk of Court's Record Search portal. On the portal, users can search for cases by party, case number, court date, Attorney detail, judge detail, and more. For in-person searches, inquirers can visit the Hamilton County Domestic Relations Court to request a case search. The Domestic Relations Court is open on weekdays from 8:00 am to 4:00 pm, and it is located at:

Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas - Domestic Relations Division
800 Broadway Building
800 Broadway Ave,
Cincinnati, OH 45202
Phone: (513) 946-9000
Fax: (513) 946-9012

It is worth noting that certain family law matters are confidential and only accessible to parties to the case, individuals with a judicial order and others permitted by law. Examples of such issues include adoption or child custody paperwork.