General Information

The Hancock County Common Pleas Court is a trial court of general jurisdiction. The Court was created by the Ohio Constitution and established in Article IV, Section 1. It is charged with providing prompt and fair resolution of civil, criminal, and domestic cases in Hancock County, Ohio.

The General Division of the Hancock County Common Pleas Court has jurisdiction over all felony criminal cases and civil cases of a serious nature. Civil cases arise from a broad spectrum of issues, including negligence actions, appeals of decisions of administrative agencies, contract or labor disputes, foreclosure actions, declaratory judgment actions, and actions for injunctive relief.

The Hancock County Common Pleas Court also has a Domestic Relations Division. This division of the Court has jurisdiction over divorce, dissolution, annulment, spousal support (alimony), child support, and custody in family disputes.

E-Filing is Mandatory for Attorneys

Effective January 1, 2026, all attorneys must use the Hancock County Clerk of Courts electronic filing system (e-filing). The Clerk of Courts will no longer accept paper filings or fax filings from any attorney. To get started, attorneys must register as an E-filing User with the Clerk of Courts.  Self-represented filers may submit paper documents to the Clerk of Courts on the 3^rd floor of the Courthouse.

Resources

• Attorney E-filing Registration
• Attorney E-filing Instructional Video (12 minutes)
• Attorney Instructions for E-Filing Proposed Orders (PDF)
• E-Filing Local Court Rules (PDF)