Department Spotlight

DEPARTMENT SPOTLIGHT

Accounts Department

The Accounts Department is responsible for auditing accounts and inventories for estates, guardianships, and trusts. We ensure that all estate assets are properly managed and directives are followed.   For guardianships, we ensure that all assets are used for the sole benefit of the Ward.

Civil Department

Civil pleadings include Appropriations, Civil Land Sales, Concealments of Assets, Declaratory Judgments, Determinations of Heirs, Disinterments, Presumptions of Death, Will Constructions, and Will Contests, along with many other less common actions. There are no forms available for any civil action other than Disinterments and Land Sales.

Disinterments are civil actions where a deceased person’s body is moved from one location and reinterred at another location. Judge Stormer recognizes the traumatic and emotional feelings a disinterment might cause for the applicant, and has made the process as efficient as possible.

Land Sales are considered additional to estate or guardianship proceedings and are separate civil cases.

General Office Department

Current marriage license applicants may complete an application online and bring the completed document to the Court for processing. In the near future, you will be able to complete an application online and electronically transmit the document to the Court where it will be held until the applicants arrive in person to complete the application process.

There are always questions as to which forms are necessary when beginning any probate process. All of the Court’s forms are available through the website, including packets for estate and guardianship applications.
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Human Services Department

The Human Services Department of the Summit County Probate Court consists of three Court Investigators, the Adoption Clerk, the Mental Health Clerk, and a Receptionist.

Court Investigators are required to give notice to a proposed ward that a guardianship case has been filed. Court investigators are “the eyes and ears of the Court” and report to the Judge on the mental, physical and lifestyle needs of the ward, and whether a guardian appears to be necessary. In addition, they perform investigations related to family adoptions.

The Mental Health Clerk coordinates all mental illness cases for the Court.

The Adoption Clerk coordinates all adoption cases for the Court. These include families who adopt children from a foreign country, adoptions from Children’s Services Board or a private agency, and step-parent adoptions.

Magistrates

The Court has four full time Magistrates appointed by Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer. Magistrates hear all cases pertaining to Estates, Guardianships, Trusts, Adoptions, Civil Commitments and Name Changes. They may also hear other cases as specifically referred by the Judge. Should an individual object to a Magistrates Decision, that decision may be appealed to Judge Stormer.

Records Department

The Court is happy to provide assistance in obtaining information within any of our case records that date back as far as 1840. Much of our older records are held on microfilm or microfiche and are available for viewing during any of our normal business hours. Our current case records are held in electronic format.   All daily filings within the Court’s public cases are now being electronically imaged. These images are available through our public computer terminals within our department and through the records search link. Some images may not be available due to confidentiality or personal information that is not open to the public.