To avoid probate in Ohio, probate attorneys and estate planning attorneys use a variety of strategies available under probate law to transfer the ownership of assets directly to beneficiaries upon a person's death.

The most efficient and reliable way to avoid probate court is to place all assets into a trust. Because a trust is a legal entity that owns the assets rather than an individual owning them, the assets do not go through probate. Instead, the creator of the trust provides instructions for how the trust's assets are to be handled or distributed after the creator's death. Administration of a trust is handled privately, without interference from a court, and is usually less expensive than the probate process.

However, sometimes a person decides not to use a trust. In these cases, there are three principal ways to keep assets out of probate in Ohio.