Probate cost in Ohio
In Ohio, estates up to $35,000 can often skip full probate. For a $300,000 estate, the court fee is set by each county.
Ohio's small estate limit is $35,000. Above it, the estate usually goes through probate.
- Court fee to open probatevaries by county
- Attorney feeNo legal schedule: set by agreement or the courtset by agreement
- Executor fee sourceSet by state law$10,000
Probate total$10,000+
The total leaves out the costs shown without a number.
- Quicken WillMaker & Trust Plus sourceOne-time price for one person$149
- Yearly feeoptional yearly renewal$40
- Moving a home into the trustSet by your county recordercounty recording fee
Trust total$149+
Assets left outside the trust can still need probate.
Probate cost by estate size
| Estate value | Court fee | Attorney (law) | Executor (law) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | not set by law | not set by law | $4,000 | $4,000+ |
| $250,000 | not set by law | not set by law | $8,500 | $8,500+ |
| $500,000 | not set by law | not set by law | $15,000 | $15,000+ |
| $1,000,000 | not set by law | not set by law | $25,000 | $25,000+ |
"Not set by law" means the fee is agreed with the lawyer or set by the court, so it is not in the total. Use your own numbers.
The rules in Ohio
- Small estate limit: $35,000 (Release from administration, R.C. 2113.03). Can cover real estate. Read on a Wayback copy (April 2026) of R.C. 2113.03: assets of $35,000 or less, or $100,000 or less when the surviving spouse takes the whole estate under the will or by intestacy. The court order directs delivery of personal property and transfer of real property, so real estate can pass. This is a court application (notice to spouse and heirs and newspaper publication unless waived), not an affidavit. No waiting period in the statute. Lead, not confirmed: Franklin County court costs of $113 to $123. Source
- Court fee: Set by each county. Probate court costs vary by county. No example county fee for opening a full administration was read. Leads from search summaries only (not confirmed): release from administration costs of Franklin $113 to $123, Cuyahoga $100 to $165, Mahoning $200.
- Attorney fee: No legal schedule: set by agreement or the court. No statutory schedule known; Sup.R. 71 and local rules govern. Lead, not confirmed: Franklin County caps attorney fees in release cases at the greater of $750 or 2.5% of assets.
- Executor fee: Set by state law. Read on a Wayback copy (June 2026) of R.C. 2113.35, effective Sept 29, 2015: 4% of the first $100,000, 3% above $100,000 up to $400,000, 2% above $400,000. Plus 1% of the value of real property not sold, and 1% of non-probate property (except joint and survivorship property) that would have been in the Ohio estate tax base. These fees are full pay for ordinary services; the court may deny or reduce them for unfaithful service. Extra pay for extraordinary services is under R.C. 2113.36 (not read). Source
Some Ohio rules could not be checked on a current official page. Each rule links to the source we used. Confirm with the court or a lawyer before you rely on it.
General information from official state sources, not legal advice.