© 2026 SimplyTrust Software Inc.
District of Columbia follows the "reasonable compensation" standard for trusteesD.C. Code § 19-1307.08Verified May 30, 2026. Courts decide what's reasonable on a case-by-case basis, looking at trust size, complexity, and the trustee's actual work. Family-member trustees often waive the fee entirely. Professional trustees (banks, trust companies, attorneys) typically charge between 0.5% and 1.5% of trust assets per year, with corporate fiduciaries usually applying minimum annual fees. The District of Columbia trustee compensation calculator breaks it down by trust situation.
Trust administration in District of Columbia is typically faster than probate because trusts don't require court supervision. The main floor is the creditor claim period — 6 months in District of Columbia — during which the trustee can't safely make final distributions. Simple trusts often wrap up in 6-9 months; trusts that hold business interests, real property in multiple states, or that need to file estate tax returns can take longer. See the District of Columbia trustee checklist for the full process.
Estate planning attorneys in District of Columbia average $347 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025 for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $1,041–$2,082 for a simple individual will and $3,820–$5,730 for a basic revocable trust. Online and DIY services cost $30–$300 for the same documents — see the will cost calculator for a side-by-side comparison.
District of Columbia allows estates under $80,000 to use a simplified Small Estate Affidavit procedure, which is a form rather than a court case and typically doesn't require an attorney. For larger estates, formal probate is involved enough that retaining counsel is usually practical — the procedural work is what they're there for. Use the District of Columbia probate calculator to estimate the costs.
In District of Columbia, the situations where retaining counsel is typically worth the cost are: blended families with children from prior relationships; ownership of a business, rental property, or significant investment assets; special-needs dependents who need a special-needs trust to preserve benefits; estates near or above the District of Columbia estate tax threshold; substantial property held in multiple states. If none of these describe your situation, the simpler online and DIY tools are often enough.
Search 3,941 estate law firms across 51 states.
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.
29 firms
Downtown DC firm off Dupont Circle (DeSales Street NW) handling probate administration and estate planning for District families. Probates estates through the DC Superior Court Probate Division, drafts wills and living trusts, and administers trusts after a death. Offers a free Zoom or phone consultation.
Location
1725 DeSales Street NW, Suite 600Washington, DC 20036
Phone
(202) 803-5676
Service Area
Statewide
Since 1942, attorneys in the Washington, DC office have served as trusted advisors. The Private Clients, Trusts & Estates Group has more than 25 attorneys providing estate planning, wealth transfer strategies, and probate administration.
Location
1717 K Street NWWashington, DC 20006
Phone
(202) 857-6000
Established
1942
Service Area
Statewide
Boutique Washington tax firm near Dupont Circle (New Hampshire Avenue NW) founded by former IRS Commissioner Mortimer Caplin, whose Private Client group handles wills, trusts, and the administration of trusts and estates. Works on cross-border and high-value matters: gift and generation-skipping tax, foreign trusts, and IRS estate-tax disputes for families, family offices, and fiduciaries.
Location
1200 New Hampshire Avenue NW, 8th FloorWashington, DC 20036
Phone
(202) 862-5000
Service Area
Statewide
International law firm known as a white-shoe firm, headquartered in Washington, DC. Estate planning practice focused on trusts and estates, including estate planning, administration and tax issues.
Location
850 Tenth Street NWWashington, DC 20001
Phone
(202) 662-6000
Service Area
Statewide
Long-established Dupont-area firm on Massachusetts Avenue NW (with a New York office) serving DC-metro families and privately held business owners for over 40 years. Trust-and-estate attorneys plan to minimize tax and avoid probate, administer estates and trusts, and handle estate litigation. Also practices business, real estate, and employee-benefits law.
Location
1800 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 300Washington, DC 20036
Phone
(202) 530-3333
Boutique trusts-and-estates firm at 17th and L Streets NW in downtown Washington, one block from Farragut North. Handles estate planning, charitable gift planning, and estate and trust administration, including federal transfer-tax work (estate, gift, and generation-skipping tax) for modest to large estates, domestic and international.
Location
1101 17th Street NW, Suite 820Washington, DC 20036
Phone
(202) 857-3434
Service Area
Statewide
Solo downtown DC firm on K Street near Farragut North, led by Keisha Garner and serving DC and Maryland families (Prince George's, Montgomery, Charles counties). Drafts wills, trusts, and powers of attorney, handles probate, and petitions for guardianships.
Location
1717 K Street NW, Suite 900Washington, DC 20006
Phone
(202) 627-6809
Boutique firm on 19th Street NW in downtown Washington (with an Annapolis, MD office) concentrating in real estate, probate, and estate planning for DC and Maryland clients. Attorney Erica Gloger handles wills, trusts, advance directives, and contested estates, alongside the firm's condominium and real estate work. Offers a free initial consultation.
Location
1320 19th Street NW, Suite 800Washington, DC 20036
Phone
(202) 429-9000
Private-wealth firm on Wisconsin Avenue NW in Glover Park, Washington, handling probate and trust administration, fiduciary counseling for professional and lay fiduciaries, and gift and estate tax return preparation. Also does irrevocable trust and special-needs planning, including cross-border estates with FATCA and CRS reporting.
Location
2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 400Washington, DC 20007
Phone
(202) 686-4842
Established
2003
Service Area
Statewide
National firm whose Washington, DC office on 17th Street NW houses one of its Private Wealth Services teams, representing executors, trustees, and beneficiaries in will, trust, and estate disputes. The Fiduciary Litigation group handles contested accountings, breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims, and removal actions alongside high-net-worth estate and trust administration.
Location
800 17th Street NW, Suite 1100Washington, DC 20006
Phone
(202) 955-3000
Service Area
Statewide