Article 2. Jurisdiction

(A) If at any time a probate court of this state determines that the probate court has acquired jurisdiction to appoint a guardian or issue a protective order because of unjustifiable conduct, the probate court may do any of the following:

(1) Decline to exercise jurisdiction;

(2) Exercise jurisdiction for the limited purpose of fashioning an appropriate remedy to ensure the health, safety, and welfare of the respondent or the protection of the respondent's property or to prevent a repetition of the unjustifiable conduct, including staying the proceeding until an application for the appointment of a guardian or issuance of a protective order is filed in a court of another state having jurisdiction;

(3) Continue to exercise jurisdiction after considering all of the following:

(a) The extent to which the respondent and all persons required to be notified of the proceedings have acquiesced in the exercise of the probate court's jurisdiction;

(b) Whether the probate court is a more appropriate forum than the court of any other state under the factors set forth in division (C) of section 2112.24 of the Revised Code;

(c) Whether the court of any other state would have jurisdiction under factual circumstances in substantial conformity with the jurisdictional standards of section 2112.21 of the Revised Code.

(B) If a probate court of this state determines that the probate court has acquired jurisdiction to appoint a guardian or issue a protective order because a party seeking to invoke the court's jurisdiction engaged in unjustifiable conduct, the probate court may assess against that party necessary and reasonable expenses, including, but not limited to, attorney's fees, investigative fees, court costs, communication expenses, witness fees and expenses, and travel expenses. Except as otherwise provided by any provision of the Revised Code, the probate court may not assess fees, costs, or expenses of any kind against this state or a governmental subdivision, agency, or instrumentality of this state.

(C) As used in this section, "unjustifiable conduct" includes, but is not limited to, conduct by a person that attempts to create jurisdiction in this state by removing the adult from the adult's home state, secreting the adult, retaining the adult, or restraining or otherwise preventing the adult from returning to the adult's home state in order to prevent or deprive a court of the adult's home state from taking jurisdiction.

Added by 129th General AssemblyFile No.163, HB 27, §1, eff. 3/22/2013.