Free Ohio Last Will and Testament
Build a complete Ohio will in minutes — free, no account. Fill in your details and download a ready-to-sign PDF with the protective clauses built in and Ohio's correct signing requirements.
A free, ready-to-sign will — but not legal advice.
This builds a complete Ohio will with the protective clauses most templates skip (survivorship period, residuary, minor's trust, executor powers). It becomes legally valid only when you sign it correctly (see the signing steps below). For a large or blended estate, have an attorney review it. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
About you
Children
Name all your children, even any you are not leaving anything to — naming them prevents an 'omitted child' claim.
Who inherits everything else (your residuary estate)
The catch-all gift of everything not specifically given. Shares should total 100%.
Specific gifts (optional)
Particular items or sums to particular people.
Executor (the person who carries out your will)
Options
Naming them states the omission is intentional. Note: you generally cannot fully disinherit a spouse (see the warnings).
Before you sign — Ohio notes
Choose 2 witnesses who are adults and who do NOT inherit under this Will. A beneficiary (or a beneficiary's spouse) should never witness your Will.
Ohio does not use a self-proving affidavit, so your witnesses may need to testify to validate the Will in probate. Keep a record of who they are.
Add at least one residuary beneficiary with a share above 0%. Without a residuary gift, everything not specifically given would pass by intestacy (state default rules), defeating the point of the Will.
To make this Will valid in Ohio: Ohio has NO self-proving affidavit statute (one of only two jurisdictions, with DC, that lacks one). To execute a valid Ohio will: the testator (18+, sound mind, not under restraint) signs the typed or handwritten will at the end, and two or more competent witnesses (each 18+) who saw the testator sign or heard the testator acknowledge the signature then sign in the testator's conscious presence. Because there is no self-proving affidavit, the will is proved at probate under ORC 2107.18 from the face of the will or, if the probate court requires in its discretion, by the testimony of the attesting witnesses. Best practice is to keep the witnesses available/locatable. Notarization is NOT required and does NOT substitute for or self-prove the will.
This is a do-it-yourself Will for a straightforward estate. If you have a large or blended estate, business interests, tax concerns, a special-needs beneficiary, or want to disinherit close family, have an attorney review it. This is not legal advice and RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
Or email yourself a copy (PDF)
Last Will and Testament of [YOUR FULL NAME]
ARTICLE I — DECLARATION
I, [YOUR FULL NAME], a resident of [CITY], [COUNTY] County, Ohio, being of full legal age to make a will and of sound mind and memory, declare this to be my Last Will and Testament, and I revoke all wills and codicils I have previously made.
ARTICLE II — FAMILY
I am not married.
If I have not named or provided for a child or other descendant in this Will, that omission is intentional and not the result of accident or mistake.
ARTICLE III — PAYMENT OF DEBTS, EXPENSES, AND TAXES
I direct my Executor to pay my legally enforceable debts, the expenses of my last illness and funeral, the costs of administering my estate, and any estate or inheritance taxes payable by reason of my death, out of the residue of my estate, without apportionment.
ARTICLE IV — TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY
I give my tangible personal property (household goods, furniture, vehicles, jewelry, collections, and personal effects not otherwise specifically given) to my residuary beneficiaries as they agree, or as my Executor determines if they cannot agree.
Ohio does not give legal effect to a separate personal-property memorandum, so any specific items must be listed in this Will itself to be binding.
ARTICLE V — RESIDUARY ESTATE
I give all the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate to [RESIDUARY BENEFICIARY].
If no beneficiary named in this article survives me, my residuary estate shall pass to my heirs at law under the intestacy laws of my state.
ARTICLE VI — SURVIVORSHIP
Except as otherwise provided, a beneficiary must survive me by 30 days to receive any gift under this Will. A beneficiary who does not survive me by 30 days shall be treated as having predeceased me. This protects my estate from passing through the estate of a beneficiary who dies shortly after me.
ARTICLE VII — APPOINTMENT OF EXECUTOR
I nominate [EXECUTOR NAME] as Executor of this Will.
I direct that my Executor serve without bond and, to the fullest extent allowed by law, without court supervision (independent administration). My Executor shall have all powers granted to executors and personal representatives under the law of my state, including the power to sell, lease, invest, and distribute estate property, to pay debts and taxes, and to settle claims, all without prior court approval, as my Executor deems to be in the best interest of my estate.
ARTICLE VIII — DIGITAL ASSETS
I authorize my Executor to access, manage, distribute, and dispose of my digital assets and electronic communications, and to act as my fiduciary under the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (or its equivalent in my state), with full authority to consent to a custodian's disclosure of the content and records of my electronic communications and accounts.
ARTICLE IX — SIMULTANEOUS DEATH
If any beneficiary and I die under circumstances in which the order of our deaths cannot be established, that beneficiary shall be deemed to have predeceased me. If my spouse and I die under such circumstances, my spouse shall be deemed to have predeceased me.
ARTICLE X — GENERAL PROVISIONS
This Will shall be governed by the laws of the State of Ohio.
If any provision of this Will is held invalid, the remaining provisions shall remain in full effect. Words of one gender include the other, and the singular includes the plural, as the context requires. The headings are for convenience only and do not affect the meaning of this Will.
EXECUTION
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I sign this Will, consisting of the foregoing pages, on this _____ day of ____________, 20____, at [CITY], Ohio.
____________________________________
[YOUR FULL NAME], Testator
ATTESTATION — The foregoing instrument was signed by the Testator and declared to be the Testator's Will in our presence, and we, at the Testator's request and in the Testator's presence and in the presence of each other, sign below as witnesses, believing the Testator to be of sound mind and under no constraint or undue influence.
Witness 1: ____________________________ Address: ____________________________
Witness 2: ____________________________ Address: ____________________________
How to Sign Your Will in Ohio
Ohio has NO self-proving affidavit statute (one of only two jurisdictions, with DC, that lacks one). To execute a valid Ohio will: the testator (18+, sound mind, not under restraint) signs the typed or handwritten will at the end, and two or more competent witnesses (each 18+) who saw the testator sign or heard the testator acknowledge the signature then sign in the testator's conscious presence. Because there is no self-proving affidavit, the will is proved at probate under ORC 2107.18 from the face of the will or, if the probate court requires in its discretion, by the testimony of the attesting witnesses. Best practice is to keep the witnesses available/locatable. Notarization is NOT required and does NOT substitute for or self-prove the will.
Ohio requires 2 witnesses: Two or more competent witnesses, each at least 18 years old, who saw the testator sign or heard the testator acknowledge the signature, and who attest and subscribe in the conscious presence of the testator. 'Conscious presence' means within the range of any of the testator's senses, excluding sight or sound sensed by telephonic/electronic/distant communication.. Your will does not need to be notarized to be valid. Ohio does not use a self-proving affidavit, so keep a record of your witnesses in case they must confirm the will in probate.
Can You Disinherit a Spouse in Ohio?
You CANNOT fully disinherit a spouse. Ohio uses a 'lesser-of' scheme rather than a UPC sliding scale: a surviving spouse may elect AGAINST the will to take an intestate share, but capped at one-HALF (1/2) of the net estate if no children or only one child/lineal descendant survives, and capped at one-THIRD (1/3) of the net estate if two or more of the decedent's children (or their lineal descendants) survive. The election must be made within five months of the executor/administrator's appointment. The spouse also has a mansion-house right and statutory family/support allowance.
No-contest clauses: No-contest (in terrorem) clauses are generally enforceable in Ohio, but Ohio courts decline to enforce forfeiture where the contestant brought the challenge in good faith and with probable cause (reasonable justification). Note: ORC § 2107.74 is the will-contest evidentiary section (order of probate as prima-facie evidence), NOT the no-contest rule itself; the probable-cause limitation comes from Ohio case law. Generator may include a no-contest clause but should warn it will not bar a good-faith, probable-cause contest.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a will made online valid in Ohio?
Yes, if you sign it correctly. Ohio requires 2 witnesses. The document this tool creates is a standard typed will; it becomes legally valid when you sign it following the steps above.
Does my Ohio will need to be notarized?
No. Ohio does not require your will to be notarized. Notarizing the separate self-proving affidavit is optional but makes probate easier.
How many witnesses does a Ohio will need?
2 witnesses. Two or more competent witnesses, each at least 18 years old, who saw the testator sign or heard the testator acknowledge the signature, and who attest and subscribe in the conscious presence of the testator. 'Conscious presence' means within the range of any of the testator's senses, excluding sight or sound sensed by telephonic/electronic/distant communication. They should be adults who do not inherit under the will.
Can I leave my spouse out of my Ohio will?
You CANNOT fully disinherit a spouse. Ohio uses a 'lesser-of' scheme rather than a UPC sliding scale: a surviving spouse may elect AGAINST the will to take an intestate share, but capped at one-HALF (1/2) of the net estate if no children or only one child/lineal descendant survives, and capped at one-THIRD (1/3) of the net estate if two or more of the decedent's children (or their lineal descendants) survive. The election must be made within five months of the executor/administrator's appointment. The spouse also has a mansion-house right and statutory family/support allowance.
Is this really free?
Yes. The generator is free, requires no account, and runs in your browser — your answers are not sent to a server. It is not legal advice and RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
Disclaimer
This generator produces a general-purpose will for a straightforward estate and is not legal advice or a substitute for an attorney. Will and probate law changes; the Ohio requirements here are current as of 2026-06-03. A will is only valid if signed and witnessed correctly. For a large, blended, or complex estate, tax planning, a special-needs beneficiary, or to disinherit close family, consult a Ohio estate-planning attorney. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
Know someone who could use this? Share this free tool: