Legal Question in Family Law in Ohio

Re: can you get custody of a child you are raising, but not related to?

You have three options. One is to call children's protective and have the child declared dependent by the Juvenile Court and placed in your custody. That is the cheapest, but doesn't have a guaranteed result because in that case the state gets legal custody and the right to determine where the child is placed.

You could file a petition yourself in Juvenile Court to get custody on the basis that the mother is unfit. Depending on court fees and such, this may be the most expensive option. Plus the mother may not consent to being declared unfit.

Probate Court is probably the best option if the mother is agreeable and will consent to the placement. It's generally the cheapest and quickest. But that's true only if the parent consents (and in all cases, the father has to be served with copies of the filings). Depending on your situation, you may have to get a lawyer. In Hamilton County at least, the court clerks are usually helpful in advising people of what forms they need, but you may need beyond that.