Ohio is on the brink of joining 33 other states that have abolished the doctrine of dower. Traditionally, married women were not allowed to own property separately from their husbands. So all real estate owned by the family was controlled by and titled in the name of the husband.
The need for dower in today’s society has passed, and abolishing it will simplify the law and save Ohioans significant time and money.
There is a pending change to Ohio real estate law that would simplify real estate transactions and save regular Ohioans significant time and money. This change would significantly streamline many real estate transactions and save me from regularly explaining to my clients why Ohio still has a law that outlived its intended purposes.
The proposed law change was passed unanimously by the Ohio House of Representatives last week and could be passed by the Ohio Senate and signed by the governor very soon.
Read more about Ohio’s dower law and its potential end in Lee’s article in the Lima News here: Legal-Ease: Change in dower law would change Ohio life
Source: LimaOhio.com, “Legal-Ease: Change in dower law would change Ohio life,” by Lee R. Schroeder, June 9, 2018
Lee R. Schroeder is an Ohio licensed attorney at Schroeder Law LLC in Putnam County. He limits his practice to business, real estate, estate planning and agriculture issues in northwest Ohio. He can be reached at Lee@LeeSchroeder.com or at 419-659-2058. This article is not intended to serve as legal advice, and specific advice should be sought from the licensed attorney of your choice based upon the specific facts and circumstances that you face.