Serves Howard County from Columbia. Handles estate and trust administration, from a one-time consultation at the outset to handling the whole administration, along with guardianship and elder law matters. Initial consultations for estate planning and probate are free, and attorneys meet clients at home or in the hospital.
Columbia is in Howard County.
Probate in Howard County
Probate Court Record
Howard County Register of Wills
Howard County
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM
Office
Circuit Courthouse, 9250 Judicial Way, Suite 1100, Ellicott City, MD 21043
Website
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Howard County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Do I need a lawyer for probate in Howard County? →Settling an estate in Howard County →
Forms for Planning Your Estate in Maryland
Free forms for planning your estate in Maryland: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Maryland.
$12/month
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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Free
Pour-Over Will
In Maryland, a pour-over will is signed before 2Md. Est. & Trusts § 4-102Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
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Free
Transfer on Death Deed
In Maryland, a transfer-on-death deed is signed before a notaryMd. Code, Real Prop. §§ 14-1001 to 14-1014Verified Oct 18, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathMd. Code, Real Prop. §§ 14-1001 to 14-1014Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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Free
Last Will and Testament
In Maryland, a will is signed before 2Md. Est. & Trusts § 4-102Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and it is self-proved when properly executedMd. Est. & Trusts § 4-102Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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Tools for Planning Your Estate in Maryland
Free tools for planning your estate in Maryland: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Maryland and read its answer.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In Maryland, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 2.1%Modeled estimate under Md. Est. & Trusts § 7-602 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.3%Modeled estimate under Md. Est. & Trusts § 7-602 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Maryland runs $4,250Estimate: 10 hours at $425, Clio's Maryland Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $6,375Estimate: 15 hours at $425, Clio's Maryland Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
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Do I Need a TOD Deed?
Maryland authorizes transfer on death deedsMd. Code, Real Prop. §§ 14-1001 to 14-1014Verified Oct 17, 2026View source: a recorded, revocable deed that passes real property at death outside probate.
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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?
Maryland does not revoke an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceMd. Code, Est. & Trusts § 4-105; § 14.5-604; § 17-112Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.
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