What to Do After a Death in Prince George's County, Maryland
The first weeks after losing someone involve time-sensitive tasks. Here's what to prioritize and what can wait.
Handling an estate in Prince George's County, Maryland means working through both immediate tasks (securing property, ordering death certificates, stopping benefits) and the formal probate process at the Register of Wills at Courthouse, 14735 Main Street, Room D4001, Upper Marlboro.
Probate matters here are routed through the Auditing Department. Knowing which office handles what saves time during the first few weeks.
Prince George's County has local procedures worth knowing before you start: Drop-off box available at the Commissioner's Entrance of the Courthouse. Required documents checklist available upon request; Wheelchair accommodations available upon advance notice.
1. Order Death Certificates
Find out how many death certificates to order:
2. Estate Settlement Checklist
Track your progress through the probate process:
Once appointed as personal representative, Maryland law requires filing an inventory of estate assets with the Register of Wills within 90 daysET § 7-201Verified Apr 15, 2026. The inventory identifies and values everything the deceased owned — real estate, bank accounts, investments, vehicles, personal belongings.
Maryland requires publishing a notice to creditors in a local newspaper. Creditors then have 6 monthsMd. Est. & Trusts § 8-103Verified Apr 15, 2026 to file claims against the estate.
Your first priorities are securing property and stopping automatic payments. Collect mail, lock up valuables, document what's there, and call Social Security at 1-800-772-1213 to report the death — this prevents benefit overpayments that the estate would have to repay later.
Contact banks and credit card companies as soon as possible to freeze accounts and prevent unauthorized transactions or recurring charges. Most institutions require a certified death certificate.
When you're ready to start probate, contact the Register of Wills at 301-952-3250 to confirm what documents you need. You can file in person or by mail — families handling probate themselves don't need to use e-filing.
File life insurance claims early. Proceeds pass directly to named beneficiaries outside probate and are often available within weeks, which can help cover immediate estate expenses while probate is underway.
An attorney is most worth the cost when the estate involves contested assets, disputes between beneficiaries, will challenges, business interests, or real estate in multiple states. Straightforward estates can often be handled without one.
Attorney fees in Maryland typically run 2%Md. Est. & Trusts § 7-602 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Apr 15, 2026 to 4%Md. Est. & Trusts § 7-602 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Apr 15, 2026 of estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates without disputes.
Professional help is especially valuable when the estate is large enough to trigger Maryland's estate tax filing thresholds, involves unusual assets, or creates potential liability for the executor.
Legal Sources
- ET § 7-201
- Md. Est. & Trusts § 7-602 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)
- Md. Est. & Trusts § 8-103
Data sourced from Maryland statutes and official state code. How we research.
Frequently Asked Questions
Before anything court-related, handle three things: get the doctor or coroner to sign the death certificate, secure the home and any valuables, and locate the will. Only then does probate planning make sense.
Plan on 8–12 certified copies. Each financial institution, title company, insurer, and the Prince George's County probate court will ask for an original. Ordering too few is the most common delay families run into. Use the Maryland death certificate calculator for a personalized count.
Maryland does not set a strict filing deadline for opening probate, but delay has costs: the creditor claim period is 6 months, assets stay frozen until probate opens, and some banks refuse to act without letters. Most families file within 30–60 days.
Funeral homes typically report the death to Social Security. Bank and brokerage notifications are on the executor — accounts freeze on notification, so timing matters. The Maryland estate settlement checklist walks through the order.
Yes. A revocable living trust keeps the estate out of Prince George's County probate entirely — no filing, no hearings, no public record. Families who plan ahead settle in weeks instead of months. Create a revocable trust online before the next generation has to go through what you're handling now.
What to Expect at Court
Here's what you should know about court appearances in this county.
Court Appearances
As of December 2, 2024, the office operates by appointments only. Maximum 2 persons per appointment. Arrive 20 minutes early for parking/building entry.
Register of Wills
Prince George's County
Courthouse, 14735 Main Street, Room D4001
Upper Marlboro, MD 20773
Phone:
301-952-3250Fax:
301-952-4489
Hours:
Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 4:30 PM
Paper Filing Available
Notify Banks & Financial Institutions
Each institution has a separate death claim process. Find yours below.
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