In Ohio, the kind of Probate proceeding an estate must use is determined by the amount of assets in the probate estate and who the beneficiary is.

The typical kind of Probate is a “Full Administration,” and it typically takes 6 months to a year or even longer to complete. In a Full Administration, all of the interested parties must be given Notice, a detailed Inventory of the estate assets must be filed, a hearing on the Inventory is held, and then at the end of the estate an Accounting is filed detailing where all of the estate assets went. Of the 3 different types, the Full Administration takes the longest and is the most expensive.

One step down from the Full Administration is the “Relief from Administration.” This is available if the estate assets are less than $100,000 and are all going to the surviving spouse. If the assets are going to someone other than the surviving spouse, then the assets must be less than $35,000 in order to qualify for a Relief from Administration. This type of proceeding typically takes only a few months.

The third kind of probate proceeding is a “Summary Release.” This is available to a person who has paid the funeral and burial expenses, and where the estate assets are the lesser of $5,000 or the amount of the funeral and burial expenses.

If you have questions about Ohio probates or need assistance with an estate, you can call our office to speak with one of our attorneys.