How Much Does a Living Trust Cost in Ohio? (2026)

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A living trust in Ohio costs $1,500 – $2,950 attorney-drafted, $2,000 – $4,000 for a couple’s full plan, or $100–$600 online. Compare the cost of preparing and funding the trust with an itemized probate estimate for your assets. A fee schedule alone does not establish what your family would save.

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Ohio Living Trust Cost (2026)

Typical flat fees reported by Ohio attorneys and legal directories, reviewed quarterly. A guide, not a quote.

Probate fees in Ohio: what the schedule covers

Ohio calculates ordinary executor or administrator compensation at 4% of the first $100,000, 3% of the next $300,000, and 2% above $400,000 on personal property received and accounted for, including its income, plus proceeds of real property sold. Unsold real property and certain nonadministration property have separate 1% rules. The court may reduce or deny compensation for failure to perform duties. These figures cover ordinary fiduciary compensation, not all settlement costs.

Source: Ohio Revised Code 2113.35. Fee basis checked September 10, 2026. Ask separately about court charges, legal or fiduciary compensation not included above, and other administration expenses.

For other state rules and transfer options, see our Ohio estate planning guide.

What each price point buys in Ohio

• $100–$600 (online): A valid Ohio trust document, pour-over will, and directives. You do the funding — every Ohio deed transfer, every account retitling.
• $1,500 – $2,950 (attorney, individual): Custom drafting, review of how your assets are titled, and usually one deed included. Confirm that last part before you sign.
• $2,000 – $4,000 (attorney, couple): Adds marital property planning.

Trust vs. probate in Ohio

Compare the same assets and services on both sides. A trust’s purchase price alone is not its lifetime cost, and assets left outside the trust may still need probate. See how to fund a trust.

Only need a will? See what a valid Ohio will requires and costs — for simple Ohio estates, a will plus the state’s transfer-on-death tools can genuinely be enough.

Online or Ohio Attorney?

The dividing line is funding, not drafting. Online documents are valid in Ohio; what they don’t do is retitle your assets. See funding your trust.

Other Ohio rules that affect the plan

• No immediate interest created.: The beneficiary gets nothing until the owner dies. The owner retains full power to sell, mortgage, or transfer the property as if the affidavit didn’t exist.
• No delivery required.: Unlike a deed, the affidavit doesn’t need to be given to the beneficiary.
• Completely revocable.: The owner can revoke or change the beneficiary at any time by filing a new affidavit or a revocation.
• Must be recorded: with the county recorder before the owner’s death to be effective.
• Mansion house right: The right to live in the principal residence rent-free for one year after the spouse’s death (ORC § 2106.15)
• Right to purchase estate assets: at appraised values
• Healthcare Power of Attorney: (ORC 1337.11-1337.17) — appoints an agent to make medical decisions when you cannot. Broader than a living will — applies in any situation when you can’t communicate, not just terminal illness.
• Living Will Declaration: (ORC § 2133.02) — applies only when you’re terminally ill or permanently unconscious. Must be witnessed by two adults or notarized.
• POLST: (Portable Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment) — a physician-signed medical order for patients with serious conditions. Distinct from advance directives in that it’s a medical order, not just a patient preference.
• Durable by default: — survives the principal’s incapacity unless expressly stated otherwise (ORC § 1337.24)
• Joint tenancy: property
• Kentucky: — imposes an inheritance tax on KY-situs property. Class A beneficiaries (spouse, children, siblings) are exempt, but Class B and C heirs face 4%–16%.

Recent Ohio Changes Worth Knowing

• 2021 — HB 464 (133rd GA): Expanded guardian authority to create estate plans for wards (with probate court approval). Clarified surviving spouse’s automobile allowance and allowance for support. Updated Ohio Trust Code and Legacy Trust provisions.
• 2013 — Estate Tax Repeal: Ohio’s state estate tax eliminated effective January 1, 2013.
• 2012 — Decanting Statute: ORC § 5808.18 enacted, allowing trustees with discretionary distribution authority to “pour” assets into a new trust with modified terms.
• 2009 — TOD Affidavit: Ohio eliminated TOD deeds and replaced them with the TOD designation affidavit system (ORC § 5302.22).

Living trust costs in nearby states

Attorney pricing and probate rules shift at the state line — compare Ohio with Michigan, Indiana, Pennsylvania, Kentucky.

When to Hire An Ohio Attorney

Online stops being the right answer when the estate has moving parts: property in more than one state, a blended family, a business, or anyone you intend to exclude.

1. Get two or three flat-fee quotes. Identical work varies by $1,000+ inside one metro.
2. Ask what’s included. Deed transfers run $150–$400 each and are often quoted separately.
3. Don’t buy complexity you don’t have.

Three ways to pay less in Ohio

1. Understand what the statute fixes and what it doesn’t. ORC 2113.35 sets the executor or administrator figure in probate, but a trust sidesteps that schedule entirely — and trust drafting itself is never statutory, so those quotes are always negotiable.
2. Count the deeds before comparing prices. At $150–$400 apiece, with properties in multiple counties each needing their own recorded transfer, a quote including one deed can beat a cheaper quote including none.
3. Match the product to the situation. A home and retirement accounts in Ohio only is the exact case the online route handles well.

Official sources: codes.ohio.gov · codes.ohio.gov · codes.ohio.gov · codes.ohio.gov

FAQ

How much does a living trust cost in Ohio?

$1,500 – $2,950 attorney-drafted, $2,000 – $4,000 for a couple’s full estate plan, or $100 to $600 through an online service. Add $150 to $400 per property for the deed transfers that fund it.

How are probate fees set in Ohio?

Ohio calculates ordinary executor or administrator compensation at 4% of the first $100,000, 3% of the next $300,000, and 2% above $400,000 on personal property received and accounted for, including its income, plus proceeds of real property sold. Unsold real property and certain nonadministration property have separate 1% rules. The court may reduce or deny compensation for failure to perform duties. These figures cover ordinary fiduciary compensation, not all settlement costs.

Can I make my own living trust in Ohio?

Yes — online services produce valid Ohio documents. The risk is funding: a trust that doesn’t hold title to your home doesn’t avoid probate for it.

More: Living trust costs nationwide · Ohio estate planning guide · Funding your trust

Probate-cost sections corrected September 10, 2026. Other state-rule sections last updated August 2026. Educational information, not legal advice or a quote.