AllowedThe court strongly encourages hiring an attorney and holds self-represented filers to the same standards. The court and its deputy clerks may not help with any part of a case, including which forms are required, and the court points to the Ohio Judicial Conference guides.
Accepted payment
At the counterCash, Check, Money order, Credit card, Debit card.Court costs are paid in cash, money order, certified or cashier's check, business check, a personal check drawn on a bank in Greene or a neighboring county, or by credit or debit card in person or online. The card processor charges a non-refundable convenience fee. The court takes no advance deposits; the exact cost is paid once a filing is accepted.
Fax
1-937-562-5316
Departments
Marriage License Bureau1-937-562-5284 · Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-3:30 PM
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 Greene County, probate runs through the Probate Court at 45 North Detroit Street, Xenia.
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 Greene County
What probate costs in Greene 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 45 North Detroit Street, Xenia.
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 Greene County are filed at the Probate Court. File in person during business hours or by mail.
Beside the filing office, the court lists a separate line for Marriage License Bureau.
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.
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 Greene County
In Ohio a death is registered locally, and in Greene County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Greene County Public Health, Vital Statistics as well as by Ohio Department of Health - Bureau of Vital Statistics.
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Greene County · Greene County Public Health, Vital Statistics
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 Greene County are recorded with the County Recorder at 69 Greene Street, 3rd Floor, Xenia, OH 45385. Phone: 1-937-562-5270. Hours: Monday-Friday 7:30 AM-4:00 PM.
The County Recorder charges $34 for the first 2 pages plus $8 for each page beyond 2.
Greene County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile.
Ohio uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Greene 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 Greene 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.
Kettering-area solo practice off East Dorothy Lane, handling matters before the Montgomery and Greene county probate courts. Represents executors and beneficiaries through estate administration and asset distribution, and sets up guardianships for incapacitated adults. Estate planning, probate, and guardianship make up the core of the practice.
Washington Township firm just south of Dayton, appearing in the Montgomery and Greene county probate courts. Guides families through estate administration after a death, along with guardianships, adoptions, and trust administration, and handles long-term-care and Medicaid asset-protection work for aging clients. Special needs planning rounds out the settlement-side practice.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 3 more
Office
8039 Washington Village Drive, Suite 110Washington Township, OH 45458
Coolidge Wall has served the Dayton area since 1853 and has stayed true to its Dayton roots. Their estate planning attorneys have extensive experience with probate administration, post-mortem planning, and business succession.
Gudorf Law Group has served Ohio since 1992 with estate planning, elder law, probate, and trust administration. The firm includes two OSBA Board Certified Specialists in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law, a distinction held by fewer than 200 attorneys statewide.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 5 more
Martin, Browne, Hull & Harper is one of the oldest continuously operating law firms in Ohio, founded in 1872. The probate and estate planning practice handles everything from simple wills to complex estate plans, including full estate administration and probate court representation. Offices in Springfield, Urbana, and Bellefontaine.
Roberson Law serves over 4,000 clients and is one of the premier estate planning firms in the Dayton area. Partners Nancy Roberson and Kristina Rainer are both OSBA Board Certified Specialists in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law, and members of the Ohio Chapter of NAELA.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 2 more
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.
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.
Enter the estate value to see Ohio attorney fees, executor fees, court costs and the timeline.
Examples:
General information about probate costs, not legal or financial advice. Fee bases vary by state and may use gross estate, personal property, inventory value or net property after debts. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
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See whether you can file probate yourself
Enter the estate value to see whether Ohio lets a self-represented person open probate, what the court requires, and what each route costs.
General information about filing probate without a lawyer, not legal advice. Both routes are priced by the probate cost estimator on the same estate; the attorney fee is the one line that differs. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
