property
Ohio Dower
Ohio still recognizes dower under ORC 2103.02: a spouse who has not released it holds a life estate in one-third of the real property the other spouse owned during the marriage. Ohio abolished curtesy, so dower applies equally to either spouse. As a result, when a married person sells Ohio real estate titled only in his or her name, the non-titled spouse must sign the deed to release dower, or the buyer takes title subject to a possible dower claim.
- Exam tip
- Testable facts: one-third, life estate, and the spouse must sign to release. Most states abolished dower, so expect a question noting that Ohio did not.
- Example
- Ray bought a cottage in his name before marrying Sophie; when he sells it, Sophie must sign the deed to release her dower interest even though she is not on title.
Related terms & state variants
Sources
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Last verified: 2026-10-23