A downtown Youngstown firm at Federal Plaza Central working through the Mahoning County Probate Court. Handles estate and trust administration, probate of estates, and will and trust contests where heirs or beneficiaries dispute an instrument. Also manages wealth-transfer planning tied to estate settlement.
What to Do When Someone Dies in Columbiana County, Ohio
How probate works in Columbiana County: the Probate Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Columbiana County Probate Court
Columbiana County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
105 South Market Street, Lisbon, OH 44432
Website
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Local rules
About the court
- The Probate Division shares the courthouse at 105 South Market Street with the Common Pleas Court and the Clerk of Courts, and keeps its own hours without a lunch closing. Marriage license applications are by appointment only.
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in Columbiana County
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In Columbiana County, probate runs through the Probate Court at 105 South Market Street, Lisbon.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under Ohio intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Ohio estates take 9 months to 12 months to move through this process. Creditors have 6 monthsR.C. §§ 2117.06, 2117.07, 2117.12, 2117.25Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the date of death.
What Probate Costs in Columbiana County
What probate costs in Columbiana County, Ohio comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the Probate Court at 105 South Market Street, Lisbon.
The Probate Court charges $200ORC § 2101.16 (as amended by HB 96, 136th GA, eff. 9/30/2025)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source to open a probate case. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Ohio are negotiated, typically 1.8%Modeled estimate under ORC § 2113.36 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.8%Modeled estimate under ORC § 2113.36 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Ohio sets executor compensation by statute — about $15,000 on a $500,000 estate, roughly 3.0%ORC § 2113.35Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
A surety bond may be required unless the will waives it or all beneficiaries consent. Premiums run roughly 0.5%Industry surety premium estimate; the bond itself under ORC §§ 2109.04, 2109.09Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in Ohio typically runs 9 months to 12 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the Probate Court
Probate cases in Columbiana County are filed at the Probate Court. File in person during business hours or by mail.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
In Ohio, informal probate is not availableORC §§ 2107.18, 2113.05 (probate court admits the will and issues letters; no registrar/clerk track)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Columbiana County Self-Filing Assessment.
What to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the Probate Court: Certified copy of the death certificate (standard county Probate Court filing requirement); If there is a will: the original will plus a SEPARATE Application to Probate Will (Form 2.0) [R.C. 2107.11, 2107.18, 2107.19] — the will must be admitted before letters testamentary can issue (R.C. 2113.05), and Form 4.0 only offers the checkbox "Decedent's Will has been admitted to probate in this Court"; Application for Authority to Administer Estate (Form 4.0), with the names/addresses of the surviving spouse and next of kin and a statement of estate value (R.C. 2113.07)R.C. 2113.05/2113.06 (grant of letters); R.C. 2109.02, 2109.07 (acceptance & application for authority); R.C. 2113.07 (application contents); Ohio Civ.R. 73.2 (standard probate forms), 73.11 (application for letters of authority; notice)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Coroner in Columbiana County
In Ohio a death is registered locally, and in Columbiana County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Columbiana County General Health District, Vital Statistics as well as by Ohio Department of Health - Bureau of Vital Statistics.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Columbiana County · Columbiana County General Health District, Vital Statistics
Phone
1-330-424-0272 (ext. 115)
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
7360 State Route 45, Lisbon, OH 44432
Website
Certified copies
At the counter
Order online
P.O. Box 309
Lisbon, OH 44432
Fax
1-330-424-1733
Burial and cremation permits
- Issued byColumbiana County General Health District, Vital Statistics
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $27 |
Verified November 4, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Coroner
Columbiana County
Published contact
None published by the county. The office is created by Ohio Rev. Code § 313.01.
Verified November 4, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in Columbiana County
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the County Recorder.
Deeds and other real property documents for Columbiana County are recorded with the County Recorder at 105 South Market Street, Lisbon, OH 44432. Phone: 1-330-424-9517. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.
The County Recorder charges $34 for the first 2 pages plus $8 for each page beyond 2.
Columbiana County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile.
Recording Office Record
County Recorder
Columbiana County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM
Office
105 South Market Street, Lisbon, OH 44432
Website
E-recording
Fees
Recording fees
| Base fee (first 2 pages) | $34 |
| Each page beyond 2 | $8 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax |
ORC 317.32(A)(1); ORC 317.36(A)
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Forms that put a death on the title
- Free forms: Affidavit of Death Form · Affidavit of Heirship Form
Probate Attorneys Serving Columbiana County
Ohio uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Columbiana County — the filing sequence, notice requirements, and accounting leave little room for error. Estates under the small-estate threshold are the usual exception.
Probate attorney fees in Ohio are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a Columbiana County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Probate Court, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
A Cortland practice in northern Trumbull County handling probate and estate administration through the Trumbull County Probate Court and neighboring counties. Manages estate settlement including court appearances, asset transfers, and estate tax returns, plus trustee and guardian representation. Also drafts special-needs trusts for families with a disabled beneficiary.
A long-established Youngstown firm at City Centre One that also keeps a Columbiana office, covering the Mahoning, Columbiana, and Trumbull County probate courts. Administers estates and trusts, resolves estate and trust litigation, and handles business-succession transfers when an owner dies. Attorneys Thomas Lodge and Christopher Patrick concentrate on this work.
Harrington, Hoppe & Mitchell traces its history to 1834, making it one of the oldest law practices in the Mahoning Valley. With offices in Youngstown, Warren, and Salem, HHM is the area's largest firm. Their estate planning and elder law attorneys advise clients on wills, trusts, probate administration, and long-term care issues.
Burkey, Burkey & Scher has served the Mahoning Valley for over 50 years, providing estate planning, wills, trusts, and probate administration services to clients in Warren, Youngstown, and throughout Trumbull County.
DiLoreto Law serves individuals and families throughout Mahoning, Columbiana, and Trumbull counties with estate planning, elder law, Medicaid planning, long-term care, asset protection, wills, trusts, special needs planning, powers of attorney, and probate administration.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
Legal Sources
(9)·
- ORC § 2101.16 (as amended by HB 96, 136th GA, eff. 9/30/2025)
- ORC § 2113.35
- ORC §§ 2107.18, 2113.05 (probate court admits the will and issues letters; no registrar/clerk track)
- R.C. §§ 2117.06, 2117.07, 2117.12, 2117.25
- R.C. 2113.05/2113.06 (grant of letters); R.C. 2109.02, 2109.07 (acceptance & application for authority); R.C. 2113.07 (application contents); Ohio Civ.R. 73.2 (standard probate forms), 73.11 (application for letters of authority; notice)
- ORC 317.32(A)(1); ORC 317.36(A)
- Columbiana County Probate Court, official page
- Columbiana County Recorder, official page
- Columbiana County vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from Ohio statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Tools for Settling an Estate in Ohio
Free tools for settling an estate in Ohio: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Ohio.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Ohio: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysR.C. §§ 2115.02, 2115.06, 2113.69Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 6 monthsR.C. §§ 2117.06, 2117.07, 2117.12, 2117.25Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.
See the Steps
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in Ohio happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeORC § 5801.01 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 daysR.C. §§ 5808.13, 5810.05Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
In Ohio, informal probate is not availableORC §§ 2107.18, 2113.05 (probate court admits the will and issues letters; no registrar/clerk track)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
Get the Answer
Hire an Ohio Probate Attorney
Browse vetted Ohio attorneys handling probate matters.
Browse firms
Notify Banks & Financial Institutions
Each institution has a separate death claim process. Find yours below.
Is this your situation?
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
