Estate Planning & Probate in Ohio County, West Virginia
There are two reasons people look up Ohio County probate: to keep a family out of it, or to get a loved one's estate through it. Pick the path that fits, then work from the local Circuit Court details.
Someone died — settling an estate
Filing probate at the Circuit Court, what it costs, transferring property, and local attorneys.
What to do when someone dies in Ohio County→Planning ahead as a property owner
Keep a Ohio County home out of probate with a transfer-on-death deed or a living trust.
Estate planning in Ohio County→The Probate Process in Ohio 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 Ohio County, probate runs through the Circuit Court at Ohio County City/County Building, 1500 Chapline Street, Wheeling. The court sits in the First Judicial Circuit. Ohio County shares the First Judicial Circuit with Brooke and Hancock.
Full Ohio Countyprobate guide: cost, how to file & attorneys →Probate Court Record
Circuit Court
Ohio County · First Judicial Circuit
Address
Phone
Hours
Recording Deeds & Property Documents
Recording Office Record
County Clerk
Ohio County · County Clerk · Michael E. Kelly
Address
Phone
Fax
$32 for the first 5 pages plus $1 for each page beyond 5; a 2-page TOD deed records for $32; TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax.
Full recording details →Verified September 9, 2026 · Source
Local Procedures at the Circuit Court
A person who has custody of a will must, within 30 days after learning of the testator's death, deliver the will to the County Clerk or to the executor named in the will. The will is then presented to the County Clerk to be admitted to probate; a certified copy of the death certificate is required. A small estate qualifies for the simplified affidavit process under the West Virginia Small Estate Act when the aggregate fair market value of all probate personal property does not exceed $50,000. Effective July 9, 2025 (HB 2867), an estate that includes any probate real property no longer qualifies as a small estate. No bond is required for small estates.
West Virginia Estate Planning Articles
Articles about estate planning, probate, and trusts relevant to families in Ohio County.
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