This guide builds on the Ohio guide, which covers the state's advertising rules, including the bar on nonverifiable claims. Here the focus is the local market: one county with many city names, and the courts that serve it.
One county, 43 places people search from
Franklin County lists 16 cities: Bexley, Canal Winchester, Columbus, Dublin, Gahanna, Grandview Heights, Grove City, Groveport, Hilliard, New Albany, Pickerington, Reynoldsburg, Upper Arlington, Westerville, Whitehall, and Worthington. It also lists 18 townships, such as Blendon, Norwich, Plain, and Prairie, and 9 villages, such as Obetz, Minerva Park, and Marble Cliff.
A reader in Westerville types "Westerville," not "Franklin County." That is still not a case for 43 pages. A separate page earns its place when it has something distinct to say; otherwise one strong Franklin County page that names the communities you serve does the job.
Getting the local court facts right
Estate matters in Franklin County go to the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Probate Division, at 373 S. High Street, 22nd Floor, Columbus. Under R.C. 2101.24, the probate court takes proof of wills and directs and settles the accounts of executors and administrators, so an estate page that names this court and address is giving a reader the right first step.
We verify court names and addresses against the court's own site before they go on your pages, and we leave out any detail we cannot confirm.
What differs from the rest of Ohio
Cleveland and Cincinnati sit in other counties. A Columbus firm that also takes clients there needs pages built from those counties' own court facts, not a Columbus page with the city name swapped.
Whether a suburb deserves its own page is a question we answer case by case; the reasoning is in whether city pages still work for lawyers.
What we build for Columbus firms
- Practice-area pages that name Franklin County courts accurately and keep every claim verifiable
- A Franklin County page set that names the cities and townships you serve, split only where the content differs
- Answer posts for the questions Columbus clients ask before they call
The estate planning guide and the personal injury guide show the page sets those practices tend to need.
Common questions
Should I build a page for Dublin, Westerville, and every other Franklin County city?
Only where the page has something distinct to say. One strong Franklin County page that names the communities you serve is usually the better first step.
Where do Franklin County estate cases go?
To the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas, Probate Division, at 373 S. High Street in Columbus. Your estate pages should name it.