Ohio Revised Code Search

...Unless otherwise specified by a provision of the Revised Code or this section, a surviving spouse shall exercise all rights under Chapter 2106. of the Revised Code within five months of the initial appointment of an executor or administrator of the estate. It is conclusively presumed that a surviving spouse has waived any right not exercised within that five-month period or within any longer period of time allowed by...

...(A) No property or right, testate or intestate, shall pass to a beneficiary named in a will who knows of the existence of the will for one year after the death of the testator and has the power to control it and, without reasonable cause, intentionally conceals or withholds it or neglects or refuses within that one year to cause it to be offered for or admitted to probate. The property devised or bequeathed to that b...

...If a devise or bequest is made to a person who is one of only two witnesses to a will, the devise or bequest is void. The witness shall then be competent to testify to the execution of the will, as if the devise or bequest had not been made. If the witness would have been entitled to a share of the testator's estate in case the will was not established, the witness takes so much of that share that does not exce...

...(A)(1)(a) When a will has been admitted to probate by a probate court and another will of later date is presented to the same court for probate, notice of the will of later date shall be given to those persons required to be notified under section 2107.19 of the Revised Code, and to the fiduciaries and beneficiaries under the will of earlier date. The probate court may admit the will of later date to probate the same...

...(A) When application is made to the probate court to admit to probate a will that has been lost, spoliated, or destroyed as provided in section 2107.26 of the Revised Code or a document that is treated as a will as provided in section 2107.24 of the Revised Code, the party seeking to prove the will shall give a written notice by certified mail to the surviving spouse of the testator, to all persons who would be ent...

...Any fiduciary may file an action in the probate court against creditors, legatees, distributees, or other parties, and ask the direction or judgment of the court in any matter respecting the trust, estate, or property to be administered, and the rights of the parties in interest. If any fiduciary fails for thirty days to file an action under this section after a written request from a party in interest, the p...

...Any estate, right, or interest in any property of which a decedent had an interest at the time of the decedent's death shall pass under the decedent's will unless the will manifests a different intention.

...When a sale of real property aliened or unaliened by a devisee or heir is ordered for the payment of the debts of an estate, sections 2107.53 to 2107.57 of the Revised Code do not prevent the probate court from making an order and decree for the sale of any portion of the aliened or unaliened real property that is equitable among the parties, and making an order of contribution and further order and decree to s...

...The expense of proving and recording wills and of any action for declaratory judgment of validity shall be paid by the party at whose instance this is done. The witnesses and officers shall have the same fees for attendance and services as in other cases. When the executor or administrator is appointed, the expense shall be reimbursed out of the estate.

...A testator may by will devise, bequeath, or appoint real or personal property or any interest in real or personal property to a trustee of a trust that is evidenced by a written instrument signed by the testator or any other settlor either before or on the same date of the execution of the will of the testator, that is identified in the will, and that has been signed, or is signed at any time after the execution of t...

...When the jury or the court finds that the writing produced is not the will or codicil of the testator, the trial court shall allow as part of the costs of administration the amounts to the fiduciary and to the attorneys defending the purported will or purported codicil that the trial court finds to be reasonable compensation for the services rendered in the will contest action. The court shall order the amounts...

...As used in sections 2108.02 to 2108.35 of the Revised Code: (A) "Adult" means an individual who is at least eighteen years of age. (B) "Agent" means an individual who is either of the following: (1) The principal's attorney in fact under a durable power of attorney for health care; (2) Expressly authorized to make an anatomical gift on the principal's behalf by any other record signed by the principal. (C)...

...(A) A person who acts in accordance with sections 2108.01 to 2108.29 of the Revised Code or with the applicable anatomical gift laws of another state, or attempts in good faith to do so, is not liable for the act in a civil action, criminal prosecution, or administrative proceeding. (B) Neither the person making the anatomical gift nor the donor's estate is liable for any injury or damage that results from th...

...(A) If either of the following is true, division (B) of this section shall apply: (1) A person has not executed a written declaration pursuant to sections 2108.70 to 2108.73 of the Revised Code that remains in force at the time of the person's death. (2) Each person to whom the right of disposition has been assigned or reassigned pursuant to a written declaration is disqualified from exercising the right as descr...

...(A) Notwithstanding section 2108.81 of the Revised Code and in accordance with division (B) of this section, the probate court for the county in which the declarant or deceased person resided at the time of death may, on its own motion or the motion of another person, assign to any person the right of disposition for a declarant or deceased person. (B) In making a determination for purposes of division (A) of this...

..."Fiduciary," as used in Chapters 2101. to 2131. of the Revised Code, means any person, other than an assignee or trustee for an insolvent debtor or a guardian under sections 5905.01 to 5905.19 of the Revised Code, appointed by and accountable to the probate court and acting in a fiduciary capacity for any person, or charged with duties in relation to any property, interest, trust, or estate for the benefit of another...

...Every fiduciary, before entering upon the execution of a trust, shall receive letters of appointment from a probate court having jurisdiction of the subject matter of the trust. The duties of a fiduciary shall be those required by law, and such additional duties as the court orders. Letters of appointment shall not issue until a fiduciary has executed a written acceptance of the fiduciary's duties, acknowledg...

...l accept filings by mail in matters of estates, guardianships, or trusts, unless the court in writing notifies the fiduciary or attorney of record that a personal appearance is necessary, or a personal appearance is otherwise required by law. The court shall reject an improper or incomplete filing and shall return it to the sender.

...At the time of the appointment of a fiduciary, the fiduciary shall file in the probate court the name of the attorney, if any, who will represent the fiduciary in matters relating to the trust. After the name of an attorney has been filed, notices sent to that fiduciary in the fiduciary's official capacity shall also be sent by the court to that attorney who may sign waiver of service of any or all of the notic...

...When a person is appointed guardian of several minors who are children of the same parentage and inherit from the same estate, separate bonds shall not be required. In such cases, only one application for letters of guardianship is necessary, and the letters issued to such guardian shall be in one copy and not one copy for each minor. The probate court approving and recording the bond of the guardian, if any, and iss...

...If the bond of a fiduciary is executed by personal sureties, one or more of the sureties shall be a resident of the county in which the fiduciary applies for appointment. The sureties shall own real property worth double the sum to be secured, over and above all encumbrances, and shall have property in this state liable to execution equal to the sum to be secured. If two or more sureties are offered on the same...

...A surety of a fiduciary or the executor or administrator of a surety may make application at any time to the probate court to be released from the bond of such fiduciary. Such surety shall file a written request therefor with the probate judge of such court and give at least five days' notice in writing to such fiduciary. If, upon the hearing, the court is of the opinion that there is good reason therefor, it shall ...

...If a fiduciary wastes or unfaithfully administers an estate, on the application of a surety on the fiduciary's bond the probate court granting letters of appointment to the fiduciary may order the fiduciary to render an account and to execute to the surety a bond of indemnity with sureties approved by the court. Upon neglect or refusal to execute the bond within the time ordered, the court may remove the fiduci...

...If a sole fiduciary dies, is dissolved, declines to accept, resigns, is removed, or becomes incapacitated prior to the termination of the trust, the probate court shall require a final account of all dealings of the trust to be filed by the fiduciary if a living person and able to act. If the fiduciary is a living person but unable to act, the final account shall be filed by the fiduciary's guardian or, if ther...

...(A) Every executor and administrator shall render an account of the executor's and administrator's administration at the time and in the manner prescribed in section 2109.301 of the Revised Code. Every guardian or conservator shall render an account of the ward's estate at the time and in the manner prescribed in section 2109.302 of the Revised Code. Every testamentary trustee and other fiduciary not subject to sect...