Elder Law Attorneys in District of Columbia

15 elder law firms in District of Columbia, by county and firm type.

Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to discuss your situation and verify their current practice areas and availability.

15 firms

FirmWashington, DC

del Cuadro-Zimmerman, PLLC (dCZ Legal)

Serves the whole state

Washington, D.C. estate planning and probate firm on Massachusetts Avenue NW handling multi-jurisdictional probate, including DC Superior Court Probate Division matters. Founder Judith del Cuadro-Zimmerman counsels personal representatives, trustees, conservators, and guardians and has argued probate and guardianship appeals before the DC Court of Appeals; senior attorney Ann Marie Holder brings a fiduciary litigation focus to estate administration. Offers a complimentary 30-minute consultation.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationElder Lawand 4 more

Office: 200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 700Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (771) 888-1005

Free consultation

FirmWashington, DC

The Elder & Disability Law Center

Since 1999 · Serves the whole state

Elder-law and estate firm with its main office on 19th Street NW in Washington and offices in Tysons Corner, VA and Bethesda, MD, serving clients throughout D.C., Maryland, and Virginia since 1999. Guides executors and trustees through probate, estate, and trust administration, handles will, trust, and probate disputes, and establishes guardianships and conservatorships. Robert S. Bullock, a Certified Elder Law Attorney, focuses on Medicaid planning and eligibility, and the firm drafts special needs trusts.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 8 more

Office: 1020 19th Street NW, Suite 510Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 452-0000

FirmWashington, DC

Farr Law Firm

Serves the whole state

Elder law and estate planning firm with a Washington office on H Street NW and offices in Fairfax, Fredericksburg, Rockville and Annapolis, serving Virginia, Maryland and DC. Its attorneys handle the planning and administration of trusts and estates in Washington, DC, guiding families through probate and estate administration and offering trust administration and executor and trustee assistance. Also handles Medicaid asset protection, special needs trusts and guardianship and conservatorship.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 5 more

Office: 1750 H Street NW, Suite 360Washington, DC 20006
Phone: (202) 587-2797

FirmWashington, DC

JDKatz, P.C.

Since 2000 · Serves the whole state

Bethesda-based firm with a Washington office on K Street NW, offering estate planning and administration to clients in the District and across Maryland since 2000. Handles probate, estate administration, trust and estate litigation, fiduciary claims, guardianship and conservatorship, alongside wills, trusts, powers of attorney and Medicaid planning. The firm also practices business and tax law.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigationand 9 more

Office: 1825 K Street NW, Suite 950Washington, DC 20006
Phone: (202) 600-2700

FirmWashington, DC

Kevin C. Martin, Attorney at Law, PLLC

Serves the whole state

Estate planning firm on Massachusetts Avenue NW serving the Washington, D.C. community, with a second office in Fort Lauderdale. Helps personal representatives open estates, obtain letters and complete filings with the D.C. Probate Division, and advises successor trustees and beneficiaries on trust administration. Drafts trusts, wills, powers of attorney and special needs plans, with particular experience serving LGBTQ+ individuals and Foreign Service Officers, and backs its work with a written service-satisfaction guarantee.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 7 more

Office: 650 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 600Washington, DC 20001
Phone: (771) 888-5187

Free consultation

FirmWashington, DC

Price Benowitz LLP - Trusts & Estates

Serves the whole state

Trusts and estates group of Price Benowitz LLP on 7th Street NW, chaired by partner Kerri Castellini, with further offices in Bethesda, Rockville, Fairfax, Leesburg and New York. Guides personal representatives through DC probate, from petitioning the Superior Court Probate Division for appointment to marshaling and valuing assets, the estate tax return and the distribution plan, and handles guardianships for incapacitated adults and minors. Also drafts wills, trusts, living wills and powers of attorney.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawGuardianshipand 3 more

Office: 409 7th Street NW, Suite 215Washington, DC 20004
Phone: (202) 852-8569

Free consultation

Solo PracticeWashington, DC

Lanchester Law Firm

Serves the whole state

Estate planning practice on Pennsylvania Avenue NW with a second office in Largo, Maryland, serving families in the District of Columbia and Maryland. Attorney Michelle Lanchester drafts wills, living, irrevocable, special needs and life insurance trusts, powers of attorney, advance directives and final-wishes instructions, and advises older adults and their families. The initial consultation is a paid one-hour appointment booked online, held by Zoom, by phone or in the Largo office.

PracticesEstate PlanningElder LawSpecial Needs PlanningPowers Of Attorneyand 2 more

Office: 601 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 900, South BuildingWashington, DC 20004
Phone: (301) 259-3799

Virtual consultations

FirmWashington, DC

Life and Legacy Counselors PLLC

Estate and legacy planning firm founded by Aimee D. Griffin, with a Washington, DC office on upper Wisconsin Avenue NW and offices in Upper Marlboro, MD and Arlington, VA. Assists families with probate after a loved one dies, petitions for guardianship and conservatorship of an adult who can no longer protect themselves or their assets, and litigation over breach of fiduciary duty or financial exploitation of an elder. Also prepares estate plans and business succession plans.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawConservatorshipand 2 more

Office: 5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 440Washington, DC 20015
Phone: (855) 574-8481

Solo PracticeWashington, DC

Law Office of Deborah D. Boddie, PLLC

Serves the whole state

Solo practice in the Mount Vernon Square historic district on 9th Street NW, with over 30 years of experience in District of Columbia estate matters. Assists resident and non-resident personal representatives with DC probate, transfers of real property and bank accounts out of a decedent's name, and contests over a loved one's wishes, and handles guardianship and conservatorship for incapacitated adults. Consultations are held by phone or video, and probate documents can be signed electronically.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationElder Lawand 6 more

Office: 1308 9th Street NWWashington, DC 20001
Phone: (202) 387-5800

Virtual consultations

Solo PracticeWashington, DC

Law Offices of Clifford M. Cohen

Serves the whole state

Estate planning and probate practice on upper Wisconsin Avenue NW in Washington, DC, with a second office in Rockville, MD, serving families in the District and Maryland with over 30 years of legal experience. Supports executors through filing and validating the will, valuing assets, handling creditor claims, court filings and tax returns, and helps resolve will contests and beneficiary or executor disputes. Also handles Medicaid and long-term-care planning and guardianship for incapacitated loved ones, and offers a free phone consultation.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationElder Lawand 8 more

Office: 5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 440Washington, DC 20015
Phone: (202) 895-2799

Free consultationVirtual consultations

Solo PracticeWashington, DC

Law Offices of George A. Teitelbaum

Serves the whole state

Probate and estate practice next to the Farragut North Metro station in Washington, DC, with a second office in Wheaton, MD, practicing since 1983 and serving clients in every DC quadrant and suburban Maryland. Concentrates only on probate and estate administration, estate litigation, wills, trusts, and powers of attorney, and elder-law guardianships and conservatorships, and also assists out-of-state clients with DC and Maryland estate matters. The initial consultation is free.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationElder Lawand 5 more

Office: 1025 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 1012Washington, DC 20036
Phone: (202) 783-7177

Free consultation

FirmWashington, DC

McDonald Law Firm, LLC

Serves the whole state

Georgetown, Washington office (by appointment) of Andre O. McDonald's estate planning and elder-law firm, headquartered in Columbia, MD with a second Maryland office in Bethesda. Assists DC executors and administrators with probate and trustees with trust administration, and helps families with Medicaid and long-term-care planning, special-needs planning that protects government benefits, and adult guardianship. Consultations are offered virtually or in person.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 7 more

Office: 1025 Thomas Jefferson Street NW, Suite 400Washington, DC 20007
Phone: (202) 640-2133

Virtual consultations

Solo PracticeWashington, DC

Mitchell Law DC

Georgetown estate practice at 1050 30th Street NW in Washington, founded by principal attorney Rodney C. Mitchell. Guides families through probate and estate administration and represents clients in disputes over an estate, alongside wills, trusts, asset protection, and elder-law work. Estate-planning, probate, will, and trust consultations can be booked online.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationElder Lawand 3 more

Office: 1050 30th Street NWWashington, DC 20007
Phone: (202) 210-1223

FirmWashington, DC

Quinn, Racusin & Gazzola, Chartered

Since 1982 · Serves the whole state

Estate, elder-law and nonprofit firm on 17th Street NW near Farragut Square, founded in 1982 by John H. Quinn, Jr. and serving Washington, DC, Maryland and Northern Virginia. Represents trustees and beneficiaries of trusts and estates under DC, Maryland and Virginia law, including trust and estate disputes, and advises personal representatives and other fiduciaries on their duties. Also handles Medicaid long-term-care planning for nursing home costs.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationTrust LitigationElder Lawand 4 more

Office: 888 17th Street NW, Suite 640Washington, DC 20006
Phone: (202) 842-9300

Solo PracticeWashington, DC

Right Size Law PLLC

Serves the whole state

Elder-law and estate practice in a Capitol Hill office on G Street SE, serving clients throughout Washington, DC, Maryland and Virginia. Attorney David Jonathan Taylor, a Certified Elder Law Attorney who clerked in the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, guides personal representatives through DC Probate Division filings, creditor notice, taxes and distribution, and helps trustees administer trusts after a death. Also handles Medicaid and long-term-care planning, special needs trusts and guardianship petitions.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 4 more

Office: 621 G Street SEWashington, DC 20003
Phone: (202) 546-1536

Elder law attorneys in District of Columbia work the legal issues facing aging adults and their families: Medicaid planning for long-term care, drafting and updating durable powers of attorney and healthcare directives, guardianship and conservatorship proceedings, special needs trusts, and asset protection. Many also handle probate and estate planning; elder law is the subset focused on care planning and benefits eligibility. The District of Columbia healthcare proxy and financial power of attorney forms cover the two instruments.

Federal law, as District of Columbia applies it, sets a 5-year lookback period for Medicaid long-term care eligibility. An uncompensated transfer in the five years before the application (a gift, a transfer to a family member, a transfer to a trust that does not qualify) can trigger a penalty period during which Medicaid does not pay for nursing home care. It is why Medicaid planning starts years before the care is needed, and why elder law exists as its own practice area.

Estate planning attorneys in District of Columbia average $347 an hour for wills and estates work. A flat-fee package runs $1,041 to $2,082 for a simple individual will and $3,820 to $5,730 for a basic revocable trust. An online service prices the same documents in the tens to low hundreds of dollars; the District of Columbia will cost calculator sets the two side by side.

In District of Columbia, estates with personal property of $40,000 or less skip probate with the Transfer by Affidavit, 60 days after death. That route is a form rather than a court case, and most families handle it without an attorney. Above the line, formal probate generally benefits from counsel for the procedural work, even when nothing is contested. The District of Columbia probate calculator estimates the cost by estate value.

In District of Columbia, the situations where counsel is typically worth the cost are: a blended family with children from a prior relationship; a business, rental property or significant investment assets; a dependent with special needs, who needs a special-needs trust to keep benefits; an estate near or above the District of Columbia estate tax threshold of $4,988,400; substantial property in more than one state. Where none of these apply, an online or self-help document is often enough.

Elder Law Attorneys in District of Columbia

Elder law attorneys in District of Columbia charge $198 per hour, focused on Medicaid planning, long-term care funding, guardianship, and asset protection for aging families. The work is often time-sensitive: Medicaid eligibility has a 5-year lookback period, so planning typically needs to start well before nursing home care is needed.

District of Columbia attorneys average $347 an hour for wills and estates work. A basic will from an attorney runs $1,041–$2,082; online services cost $30–$300.

District of Columbia imposes its own estate tax separate from the federal one, kicking in well below the federal exemption. Estates near the state threshold benefit from real planning — not because every family needs it, but because the line is lower than people expect.

Estates under $40,000 in District of Columbia can use a simplified affidavit instead of formal probate. Most families in that range can handle it without retaining counsel.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated October 15, 2026

Legal Sources

Data sourced from District of Columbia statutes and official state code. How we research.

Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in District of Columbia

Free District of Columbia forms for planning an estate or settling one: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed, and the probate forms an executor files.

$12/month

Revocable Living Trust

Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.

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Free

Healthcare Power of Attorney

District of Columbia requires 2 witnesses for a healthcare power of attorney; notarization is not required.

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Free

Financial Power of Attorney

District of Columbia treats a power of attorney as durable by default, and it is signed before a notary.

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Free

Last Will and Testament

In District of Columbia, a will is signed before 2 witnesses, and the witnesses sign an affidavit at probate instead of a self-proving affidavit.

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All District of Columbia forms

Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in District of Columbia

Free calculators and checklists for planning or settling an estate in District of Columbia: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay, and inheritance taxes.

What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable trust in District of Columbia runs $3,820 to $5,730 and a simple will $1,041 to $2,082, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

Compare Costs

How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

In District of Columbia, four years at a public university cost about $24,608 and the cost of living is 10% above the U.S. average; the state levies an estate tax above $4,988,400.

Use Calculator

What Are the Estate Laws in My State?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in District of Columbia costs an estimated $26,493 and takes 6 months to 12 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 2% to 3.1% of the estate. Estates under $40,000 can use a small-estate procedure instead.

Check Your State

Do I Need a Revocable Trust?

Probate in District of Columbia takes 6 months to 12 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 2% to 3.1% of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.

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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

District of Columbia does not revoke an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorce; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.

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All District of Columbia tools