Free Fillable Ohio Last Will and Testament Form

Two things equalize all humans—a definite sunrise and an indefinite sunset. No matter who you are or how many assets you have gathered, we are all born once and shall die once. Thus, everyone needs to prepare for their undated and unpredictable departure from this realm of life. Moreover, exiting this physical dimension leaves behind precious people who inherit our hard-earned assets.

Unfortunately, failing to plan for your estate’s smooth transition into your inheritors’ custody can cause chaos. Fortunately, an Ohio last will and testament settles every debate and allows your chosen heirs to peacefully access their inheritance. This precious document lets all of your inheritors possess their rightful assets without stepping on each other’s toes.

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Free Fillable Ohio Last Will and Testament Form

So, do you want to leave behind a peaceful legacy or you want your hard-earned assets to divide your family after your death? No responsible parent or spouse would like to see their children fighting each other over their assets. Instead, they wish to see their estate uniting and advancing their inheritors’ economic welfare.

Therefore, it’s beneficial to you and your family to write your last will and testament form today. This post shares all the benefits of writing this document. Eventually, we hope your eyes will open to see why you should have done it as soon as last year. Keep reading and then download our free templates to write your last will and testament today.

Why This Document is Important

Although this document is critical to your assets’ smooth and harmonious transition from your name to your chosen inheritors, it’s not legally mandatory. Thus, you can choose to write one or leave it. However, failing to draft an Ohio last will and testament means that you lose your exclusive and deserved right to determine your assets’ inheritors. It denies you the final say over what you labored for all the years you lived.

Instead, your passiveness hands the final say to the government, the last institution you would trust with your children’s inheritance. The state automatically assumes the final role of allocating your wealth to your closest family survivors. Unfortunately, it allocates your estate based on standard formulas that don’t reflect your will and wishes. Moreover, its distribution doesn’t serve your family’s best interests.

Remember, your estate is your labor and not a gift from the state. Thus, you are the best person to determine who should benefit and in which proportion.

Another problem with allowing the state to distribute your estate is that it limits your estate’s beneficiaries to your family members because it follows the law. However, if you were to allocate your assets, you would still use your heart and engage generosity to include other beneficiaries. For instance, you would donate some or all of your assets to charity and the needy in society. Unfortunately, the state doesn’t understand or distribute assets based on heart matters like generosity.

Do you want to stamp your authority over what you labored for or want someone else to do it for you? If you don’t want to lose your final say over your wealth, download our free template and fill it out to write your last will today! Remember, you never know when your last day on earth will be.

Death Without a Last Will: What Happens?

Some people still die without this critical document in their lives. Consequently, they automatically surrender their final say over their estate to the state. The state of Ohio invokes intestacy laws in such cases. These laws give the decedent’s surviving spouse the right to inherit the entire estate unless they have surviving descendants. In cases where the deceased doesn’t have a surviving spouse or children, their closest surviving relatives inherit their property. For instance, their parents, siblings, and grandparents are entitled to inherit their assets.

Exempted Assets

Ohio state laws exempt some properties from distribution through the last will. Some of these assets are as follows:

All jointly-owned assets;
Life insurance policies;
Retirement benefits;
Surviving spouses’ elective shares.

Basic Legal Requirements

An Ohio last will and testament is a legally binding document. Thus, it must abide by some legal requirements contained in Chapter 2107 of the Ohio Code. Below are some of them.

Its testator must be an adult aged 18 years and above.
The testator must draft and sign it voluntarily with a sound mind.
The will must bear the drafter’s signature or that of their trusted appointee who must sign it in the testator’s conscious presence, name, and under their direction.
Every last will needs the signatures of two competent witnesses who aren’t its beneficiaries. Moreover, they must have seen the testator signing it or heard them acknowledging its signature.
The testator can appoint anyone they wish to inherit their estate, from inside and outside their family.
Every last will must be documented unless it’s an oral will.

Other Recognized Wills

The state of Ohio also recognizes other forms of last wills. For instance, it acknowledges oral wills if the testator makes them in their last sickness. Two witnesses who aren’t inheritors should subscribe to the will within ten days after hearing the person uttering its words.

Ohio laws also acknowledge handwritten wills if they are implemented as per the state’s provisions.

Will Amendments

You can amend your last will whenever you want using a codicil, which you must execute in the same way as a will.

Will Revocation

The law lets you revoke your will in the following ways:

Execute a subsequent last will;
Tear, cancel, obliterate, and destroy it to revoke it. You can do it by yourself or appoint a trusted person to do it for you, but as per your direct written permission;

It’s also worth noting that Ohio laws provide that if you get a divorce or annul/dissolve your marriage after implementing your will, you automatically revoke those provisions that favored your former spouse.

Now you are up to date with all you needed to know about an Ohio last will and testament. It’s your turn to download our forms and write yours today.