Hiring a Bankruptcy Lawyer in Ohio
How bankruptcy lawyers are paid, the Ohio means test and exemptions, how to check a lawyer's license, and free help. We do not recommend or rank lawyers.
What a lawyer costs in Ohio: fee rules
| Rules on contingency fees | Under Ohio Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5(c)(1), every contingent fee agreement must be in a writing signed by both the client and the lawyer, stating how the fee is determined, including the percentage(s) for settlement, trial or appeal; litigation and other expenses deducted from the recovery; and whether expenses are deducted before or after the fee is calculated, and clearly notifying the client of expenses owed whether or not the client prevails. Under Rule 1.5(c)(2), when the lawyer will disburse funds, the lawyer must give the client a closing statement, signed by the client and lawyer, at or before receiving the fee, showing how the fee was computed, the costs and expenses deducted, and any division of fees with a lawyer outside the firm. Rule 1.5(d) bars fees in domestic relations matters contingent on securing a divorce or on the amount of spousal or child support or property settlement, and contingent fees for defending a criminal case. Ohio's Rule 1.5(a) prohibits 'illegal or clearly excessive' fees rather than 'unreasonable' fees. |
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| If you disagree with a lawyer's bill | According to the Ohio State Bar Association, many local bar associations will help arbitrate fee disputes, and some also mediate other lawyer-client conflicts that do not involve misconduct. Fee disagreements generally are not handled through the discipline process. |
| If a lawyer takes your money | The Supreme Court of Ohio's Lawyers' Fund for Client Protection reimburses money or property lost through an Ohio-licensed attorney's theft or embezzlement while acting in a fiduciary or legal capacity within an attorney-client relationship; reimbursement is not a matter of right. The attorney must have been disciplined on or after May 13, 1985, or have resigned or died. Loans, malpractice, negligence and fee disputes are not covered, and family members, employees, lawyer-controlled businesses and government entities cannot claim. The maximum is $100,000 per claim; file within five years of the loss or its discovery. There is no filing fee; submit a notarized Application for Reimbursement with supporting documents (a lawyer is optional). Claim help: 1.800.231.1680. |
Ohio rules to know first
| Standard Chapter 13 lawyer fee | Northern District of Ohio (set by division): Cleveland - Third Amended Administrative Order 25-01 (filed February 13, 2025), for cases filed in the Cleveland court on and after March 1, 2025, allows debtor's counsel to accept, in lieu of an itemized fee application, a presumptively reasonable fee up to and including $4,500.00 if a plan is confirmed, the Rights and Responsibilities agreement was executed before filing, and no party objects; if the agreement was not executed before filing, the presumptive fee is up to and including $2,500.00 on motion. If the case is dismissed before confirmation, the trustee pays counsel $450.00 to the extent funds are available. Toledo (Western Division) - Toledo Administrative Order 24-01 (Judges Whipple and Gustafson; dated April 24, 2024) allows a presumptively reasonable fee up to and including $3,500 if a plan is confirmed and the Rights and Responsibilities agreement was executed before filing (up to and including $2,500 if not), on motion or application with a proposed order. Southern District of Ohio: General Order No. 50-1 amended Local Bankruptcy Rule 2016-1(b)(2)(A), effective for cases filed on or after February 24, 2021, to provide that upon confirmation of the plan, fees may be allowed up to $4,350 ("no-look fee") without further application or specific itemization, covering the listed general legal services in a chapter 13 case whether performed preconfirmation or postconfirmation. Northern District Toledo order: https://www.ohnb.uscourts.gov/sites/default/files/administrative_orders/ao-24-01-toledo-compensation-debtors-attorneys-chapter-13-cases.pdf ; Southern District General Order 50-1: https://www.ohsb.uscourts.gov/sites/ohsb/files/general-orders/General_Order_50-1.pdf |
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| Means test median income | Median family income for Ohio: 1 person $66,239; 2 people $83,725; 3 people $102,504; 4 people $123,702; add $11,100 for each additional person beyond 4. These figures apply to bankruptcy cases filed on or after July 15, 2026. Used in the Chapter 7 means test (Official Forms 122A-1 and 122C-1). The table's first column is labeled "1 EARNER." The same figures were posted for cases filed April 1 through July 14, 2026. The U.S. Trustee Program updates the table periodically. |
| Homestead exemption | $182,625 in one parcel or item of real or personal property that the filer or a dependent uses as a residence, for April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2028. Ohio's homestead exemption has no acreage limit; it is limited by dollar value only. The statute text (https://codes.ohio.gov/ohio-revised-code/section-2329.66) still shows the base figure of $125,000; division (B) directs the Ohio Judicial Conference to adjust every dollar amount every three years for inflation. The Judicial Conference table lists $182,625 for April 1, 2025 through March 31, 2028 (the prior period's figure was $161,375). The statute does not set an acreage limit. |
| State or federal exemptions | Ohio has opted out of the federal bankruptcy exemptions. People domiciled in Ohio cannot use the federal exemption list in 11 U.S.C. 522(d) and must use Ohio's exemptions instead. Source: Ohio Rev. Code § 2329.662 |
Find and check a lawyer
| Lawyer referral service | Lawyer referral services in Ohio must be registered with the Supreme Court of Ohio under Gov.Bar R. XVI. The Court maintains a list of registered lawyer referral services, with links and the geographic area each serves; Court staff cannot refer you to a specific lawyer, but direct people needing a lawyer to a registered lawyer referral service. |
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| Check that the lawyer is licensed | The Supreme Court of Ohio licenses Ohio attorneys, and its Office of Attorney Services keeps an online directory of attorneys admitted to practice in Ohio. Attorneys' residence addresses and emails are not public unless no valid office address is on file. For help, contact the court's Registration and CLE Section at attyreg@sc.ohio.gov or 614.387.9320 (weekdays 8 a.m.-5 p.m.). FAQ: https://www.supremecourt.ohio.gov/attorneys/attorney-registration/atty-registration-faqs/ |
| Check discipline history or file a complaint | File a grievance with the Office of Disciplinary Counsel (ODC) of the Supreme Court of Ohio (online through its File a Grievance link, or obtain a form from ODC at 65 E. State Street, Suite 1510, Columbus, OH 43215) or with your local bar association's certified grievance committee, which the Supreme Court authorizes to investigate and prosecute ethics violations. The complaint must be in writing and signed and include your name, the attorney's name and the basis for the complaint. The attorney may be asked to respond; if there is no probable cause the grievance is dismissed (dismissals by a local grievance committee can be appealed to the Board of Professional Conduct; ODC dismissals cannot). If probable cause is found, a formal complaint goes to the Board of Professional Conduct; the preliminary investigation is confidential, but once a probable-cause panel certifies the complaint the proceedings become public, and the Supreme Court decides any discipline. Process described in the Ohio State Bar Association pamphlet: https://www.ohiobar.org/globalassets/law-facts/pamphlet-pdfs/lf_ethics_pdf.pdf |
Free legal help
| Free legal aid | Free civil legal aid for low-income Ohioans is provided by regional legal aid programs. The Legal Services Corporation (LSC) lists five Ohio grantees: Community Legal Aid Services, Legal Aid of Western Ohio, The Legal Aid Society of Cleveland, Legal Aid Society of Greater Cincinnati, and Legal Aid of Southeast and Central Ohio. |
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All legal help in Ohio · Do I need a lawyer?
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.