How many hours must a beneficiary survive the decedent to claim their share in Ohio?

In Ohio, the law stipulates that a beneficiary must survive the decedent by at least 120 hours (or five days) to be eligible to claim their share of the estate. This provision helps to clarify situations where the timing of death could affect distribution of assets, especially in cases where multiple individuals may pass around the same time or during events that might put them at risk.

Survival for this specific period ensures that the inheritance laws are applied equitably, preventing complications that could arise if beneficiaries were to die shortly after the decedent. It allows the court to ascertain unequivocally who has the legal right to inherit from the decedent's estate as long as they meet the time requirement. In situations where someone does not survive the decedent for the full 120 hours, their claim to any inheritance would lapse, and the share would typically be distributed according to the laws of intestacy or the terms of the decedent's will.