Meet Robert
Meet Robert Franco
Robert A. Franco is a husband, father, local attorney, and candidate for Richland County Probate Judge.
Family, community, and service.
Robert and his wife, Kara, are raising their twins, Zef and Zoey, who attend school in the Ontario Local School District. As parents, they understand the importance of building a strong community where families can thrive and children have opportunities to succeed.
That perspective shapes the way Robert thinks about public service. Probate Court matters are not merely files and legal documents. They involve families, homes, loved ones, important responsibilities, and decisions with lasting consequences.
Practical experience before and after law school.
Robert's path to becoming an attorney was shaped by practical experience. Before attending law school, he built and operated local businesses in the title and real estate industries. He has maintained an office on Lexington Avenue since 1997 and has practiced law there since 2009.
For more than three decades, Robert's work has centered on real estate, title matters, small businesses, and the legal issues that affect local families. Today, his practice focuses on probate, estate planning, real estate, title matters, and related disputes affecting families, fiduciaries, property owners, and small businesses.
A serious respect for the law.
Robert earned his business degree from Mount Vernon Nazarene University and graduated summa cum laude from Capital University Law School. He continued his education by earning an LL.M. in Business and Taxation.
He also served for several years as an adjunct professor at North Central State College, teaching real estate law, real estate transactions, and business law. That background reflects something important about him: he enjoys the law, studies it seriously, and believes careful legal analysis matters.
Work that fits his experience and temperament.
Throughout his career, Robert has enjoyed helping people understand complicated legal issues and find practical solutions. He has built his practice around probate, real estate, title, estate planning, and related civil matters because this work requires preparation, organization, careful reading, and practical problem-solving.
Probate and real estate issues can affect a family's home, a loved one's estate, a fiduciary's responsibilities, a business transaction, or a person's future. Robert understands how important those matters are to the people involved.
Listening before deciding.
Robert believes it is important to keep an open mind. There is always someone who knows more about a particular issue, a particular fact pattern, or a particular area of law. Good lawyers know that. Good judges must know it too.
Lawyers write briefs for a reason. Parties present evidence for a reason. Hearings matter because people deserve to be heard before a decision is made. Robert believes a judge should listen carefully, consider the arguments, follow the law, and decide each matter based on the facts presented.
Respect for a court that helps people do things the right way.
A good court does not do a lawyer’s job for the lawyer or require every matter to be handled according to one preferred method. It can provide clear expectations, identify legitimate areas of concern, and point practitioners toward the laws, rules, and resources that govern the process.
That kind of clarity benefits everyone. It helps attorneys practice more effectively. It helps fiduciaries understand what is expected. It helps families receive more predictable guidance from their lawyers. And it helps the court move cases forward in an orderly and efficient way.
Why Robert is running for Probate Judge.
Robert is running for Probate Judge because he believes his experience, temperament, and respect for the law can serve the people of Richland County. This court affects seniors, children, families, property owners, fiduciaries, attorneys, and community institutions. It requires legal experience, organization, patience, humility, and respect for the people who come before the court.
Robert believes the Probate Court should be fair, consistent, transparent, and grounded in the law. He believes attorneys and fiduciaries should have clear expectations. He believes families deserve a court that is respectful and prepared. And he believes the public should better understand what this court does and why choosing the right Probate Judge matters.