What Summit County Probate Court does

Summit County Probate Court is a statutory division of the Summit County Court of Common Pleas in Akron, Ohio, operating since 1840 under Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer. It delivers core probate and fiduciary services to Summit County citizens, including marriage license issuance, estate administration across four asset-tier pathways, adult and minor guardianships, conservatorships, all categories of adoptions, name changes and name conformity, birth record corrections, disinterment proceedings, and involuntary civil commitments for severe mental illness. The court serves as Superior Guardian for over 2,200 individuals and processes approximately 650 mental health commitments annually through its New Day Court program — the first of its kind in Ohio — which delivers recovery-focused case management to reduce repeat psychiatric hospitalizations.

The court's service delivery combines in-person operations at 209 South High Street with a limited digital infrastructure: an email-based electronic filing system accepting PDF documents and Word-format proposed orders, an online case records search portal covering marriage records from September 1980 forward, and a Vimeo-hosted educational video library covering all major service categories. Support programs include a free attorney-staffed Help Desk, a Mediation Program, the Senior Visitor Program and Volunteer Guardian Program for indigent wards, and a Curated Courthouse art initiative developed with Curated Storefront under a Knight Arts Challenge grant. The court holds strategic partnerships with ADM Board, Community Support Services, Portage Path Behavioral Health, and NAMI Summit County to support mental health court operations.

The business model is governmental rather than commercial: the court is funded by public tax revenues through its parent court and collects only nominal statutory filing fees (ranging from $10 for adversarial motions to $125 for name changes). There are no shareholders, no commercial revenue streams, and no equity instruments. Customer concentration is effectively zero in the commercial sense — the "customers" are diffuse civic populations accessing mandated legal services. Distribution is regional (Summit County only) via physical location, electronic filing, and community outreach channels including a Speakers Bureau, quarterly newsletter, and Facebook presence.

Name

Summit County Probate Court

Legal name

Summit County Probate Court

Website

https://summitohioprobate.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1840

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Summit County Probate Court is a statutory Ohio court division in Akron that administers estates, guardianships, adoptions, marriage licenses, name changes, and mental health civil commitments for Summit County residents. It operates a mental health court, free legal help desk, and electronic filing, funded by public tax revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Probate Court Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Problem-Solving Courts (Drug, Mental Health, Veterans, Family) (BPAIAFAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Family & Private Client (Trusts & Estates) Law (BPAHAAAK)

Keywords

• Probate court services
• Estate administration
• Guardianship services
• Marriage licensing
• Mental health court

Headquarters

HQ city

Akron

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Court Filing Fees: Statutory filing fees for various court proceedings including estates, guardianships, adoptions, name changes, marriage licenses, and civil actions. Fees support court operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Summit County Probate Court is a statutory Ohio court that adjudicates probate matters including estate administration, guardianship appointments for adults and minors, adoption finalization, marriage license issuance, name changes, birth record corrections, disinterment, and adult declaration of paternity. The court also conducts involuntary mental health civil commitment hearings and operates the New Day Court, the first mental health specialty court of its kind in Ohio for individuals on outpatient commitment. Supporting services include a free attorney-staffed Help Desk, mediation, electronic filing, and online case records search.

Product overview

Summit County Probate Court provides court services for the Summit County Court of Common Pleas, Probate Division, led by Judge Elinore Marsh Stormer. The court offers a comprehensive portfolio of legal and administrative services including marriage licenses, adoption, estate administration, guardianship/conservatorship, name changes, birth/death records, and mental health services (New Day Court). The court operates both physical services at 209 South High Street, Akron, Ohio and digital services including eFiling, Case Records Search, and educational Court Videos. Supporting programs include the Senior Visitor Program, Volunteer Guardian Program, Help Desk, and Mediation Program. The court serves as the Superior Guardian of over 2,200 individuals and handles approximately 650 mental health commitments annually.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• New Day Court: First court of its kind in Ohio, designed to assist severely mentally ill individuals on outpatient commitment by providing tools for active participation in their recovery and to avoid repeat hospitalizations
• Curated Courthouse
• Help Desk Program
• Senior Visitor Program
• Volunteer Guardian Program

Products and services

• Marriage License Services Issues marriage licenses for Summit County residents and those marrying in Ohio. Includes application processing, 60-day license validity, and certified copy issuance. $64.00 fee includes 2 certified copies of marriage abstract.
• Adoption Services Handles all adoptions within Summit County including public agency, private agency, private adoption, stepparent adoption, foreign re-adoption, and adult adoption.
• Estate Administration Probate court services for transferring property through probate including short form release (estate valued at $4,500 or less with funeral bill paid), summary release (assets under $5,000 or under $45,000 with surviving spouse), release from administration, and full administration.
• Guardianship Services Provides adult guardianship, minor guardianship, and conservatorship services for individuals unable to manage their own care or finances. Guardian required when minor receives money or property in excess of $25,000.
• Name Change/Name Conformity Legal name change and name conformity services for adults and minors, including correction of clerical errors on legal documents per Ohio law. $125.00 filing fee for name change.
• Birth/Death Records Services Birth registration, corrections, and delayed registration services. $40.00 filing fee for birth registration and birth record correction.
• New Day Court Specialized mental health court program for severely mentally ill individuals on outpatient commitment, helping participants avoid repeat hospitalizations and supporting recovery through compassionate case management. Approximately 650 commitments are processed annually.
• Electronic Filing (eFiling) System Electronic document filing system allowing submissions via email 24/7 to [email protected]. Documents submitted in PDF format; Proposed Orders in WORD format. Electronic Cover Page required.
• Case Records Search Online searchable database for case records including marriage records from September 9, 1980 to present, accessible at search.summitohioprobate.com/eservices.
• Help Desk Program Free assistance staffed by a licensed attorney for simple estate transfers, review of probate forms, and probate procedure questions. Available by appointment only.
• Mediation Program Court mediation services for resolving disputes outside of formal hearings.
• Senior Visitor Program Volunteer program providing companionship and support to vulnerable indigent seniors under the Court's jurisdiction.
• Volunteer Guardian Program Volunteer program serving indigent wards under the court's jurisdiction with compassionate volunteer guardians.
• Disinterment/Reburial Services Legal process for exhuming and reburying remains in a different location, including application forms and hearing procedures. $73.00 filing fee.
• Adult Declaration of Paternity Establishes paternity for individuals over age 23 when birth certificate does not designate a father. $35.00 filing fee.
• Minor's Claims/Funds Management Court-supervised management of funds for minors including application processes for expending funds from minor estates.
• Miller/QIT Trust Qualified Income Trust services for Medicaid eligibility, allowing excess income to be deposited to maintain eligibility for long-term care.
• BCI Background Checks Required background checks for guardianship and adoption applicants, processed through Summit County Clerk of Courts. $32.00 fee, non-refundable.
• Will Deposit Service Service for depositing a will for safekeeping with the court. $25.00 fee.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2,200 people served as Superior Guardian through guardianship programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Curated StorefrontcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019Knight Arts Challenge winning partnership to transform the Historic Summit County Courthouse with art from diverse local artists. Project provides respite and representation for employees and visitors in the stressful courthouse environment. 2019 matching grant project.
• Alcohol, Drug Addiction and Mental Health Services (ADM) BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agency supporting New Day Court program for severely mentally ill on outpatient commitment. ADM Board provides treatment services and funding for the court's mental health court initiatives.
• Community Support Services (CSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agency supporting New Day Court participants. Provides comprehensive treatment, rehabilitation, case management, advocacy and support for those with severe mental illness.
• National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Summit CountyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner supporting mental health court programs. Provides support, education and advocacy for people with mental illness and their family caregivers.
• Portage Path Behavioral HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner providing psychiatric emergency services for New Day Court. Provides outpatient, inpatient, emergency, and specialized behavioral health services.
• Peg's FoundationminorOthersFoundation providing special thanks for support of New Day Court mental health initiatives. Foundation focuses on mental health and aging issues.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SummitCountyProbateCourt

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Summit County Probate Court