Marriage documents ready in Ross County

CHILLICOTHE – On Friday, after the Supreme Court’s decision on same-sex marriage, the Ross County Probate Court ceased issuing any marriage licenses for the day.

Judge Jeffery Benson said he needed time to review the court’s decision and consult peers about the ruling. When the offices opened Monday morning, it was back to business as usual.

“We’re doing it right now,” Benson said. “The decision was pretty clear that we need to issue licenses.”

Benson said that, in anticipation of the decision, his office had a draft of the new gender-neutral application form prepared last week and was ready Monday morning. The marriage certificates come from a printing company, Benson said, and “should be here soon.”

Gendered titles will be changing on more than just marriage documents. The Ohio Supreme Court issued an administrative action Friday that requires all documents for the rules of superintendence, domestic relations, and any other related forms for the courts of Ohio be changed to use gender-neutral titles.

These documents apply to other legal matters such as divorce, child custody, and adoption. Therefore, no forms for the courts will have gender-specific language such as father and mother or husband and wife. This change is required to comply with the Obergefell v. Hodges decision.

A representative from the Pike County Probate Court office said the software used to change the marriage forms must be updated to reflect the new gender-neutral specifications. Approval for the update comes from Judge Robert N. Rosenberger, who could not be reached for comment.

A representative said the court hoped to be able to issue updated forms by the end of the day.

Fayette County Probate Judge David B. Bender was out of the office Monday, but court officials say marriage license applications are available. However, it was still necessary to white-out and write over the current applicant lines on those documents to make them gender-neutral.

While couples in Fayette and Pike counties will be able to obtain marriage licenses, it is still unclear whether judges will perform ceremonies at the courthouses.

However, Benson has performed a small number of marriages in the Ross County Courthouse since he took office in February and says he plans to continue performing ceremonies for all couples by appointment only.