Estate Planning & Probate in Multnomah County, Oregon
Most Multnomah County estate questions come down to one fork: avoid probate before a death, or work through it after one. This page points you to the right path—planning ahead, or settling an estate at the Circuit Court.
Someone died — settling an estate
Filing probate at the Circuit Court, what it costs, transferring property, and local attorneys.
What to do when someone dies in Multnomah County →Planning ahead as a property owner
Keep a Multnomah County home out of probate with a transfer-on-death deed or a living trust.
Estate planning in Multnomah County →The Probate Process in Multnomah County
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone's estate after they die — validating the will, paying debts and taxes, and transferring what's left to the heirs. In Multnomah County, probate runs through the Circuit Court at 1200 Southwest 1st Avenue, Portland. The court sits in the 4th Judicial District.
Full Multnomah County probate guide: cost, how to file & attorneys →Probate Court Record
Multnomah County Circuit Court
Multnomah County · 4th Judicial District
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Self-represented filing
Self-help forms
How to file probate in Multnomah County →
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Recording Office Record
County Clerk
Multnomah County
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
Recording fee
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Vital Records Office Record
County Registrar
Multnomah County · Multnomah County Vital Records
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
Certified copies
Certified copy fee
Full death certificate details →
Verified November 1, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Medical Examiner
Multnomah County · Multnomah County Medical Examiner's Office
Phone
Office
Website
Full coroner or medical examiner details →
Verified November 1, 2026 · Source
Local Procedures at the Circuit Court
Probate Short Matters Docket Mon-Fri at 8:15 AM, prearranged with the Probate Department (matters of 10 minutes or less).
Every matter needing a judge's approval or signature is first presented to the Probate Department for review, and probate matters are prescheduled rather than taken to a judge directly. Most orders and judgments are reviewed and signed within a week. The petition gives the petitioner's full legal name, the relation of each heir to the decedent, and whether any devisee's gift will fail. A request to waive bond explains why waiver is proper in light of the known assets and creditors and is filed with consents from the distributees whose interest the waiver affects.
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Oregon
Free Oregon forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Oregon.
Last Will and Testament
In Oregon, a will is signed before 2ORS 112.235Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and the witnesses sign an affidavit at probate instead of a self-proving affidavitORS 112.235Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Pour-Over Will
In Oregon, a pour-over will is signed before 2ORS 112.235Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
Healthcare Power of Attorney
Oregon allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2ORS 127.527 (HCR appointment), ORS 127.529 (comprehensive advance directive; form text set by 2021 c.328 §2 / SB 199 2021)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.
Financial Power of Attorney
Oregon treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultORS 127.002 (defs; 2023 c.9 §8); ORS 127.005–127.045 (2009 c.46; 2018 c.36; 2021 c.272); ORS 93.670Verified Sep 20, 2026View source, and it is signed with no witness or notary requirementORS 127.002 (defs; 2023 c.9 §8); ORS 127.005–127.045 (2009 c.46; 2018 c.36; 2021 c.272); ORS 93.670Verified Sep 20, 2026View source.
Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Oregon
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Oregon: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for Oregon.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Oregon: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysORS 113.165, ORS 113.175Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 monthsORS §§ 113.155, 115.003, 115.005, 115.125Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months.
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in Oregon happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeORS 130.001 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
Do I Need Probate?
In Oregon, estates with personal property of $75,000ORS 114.510Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less use the Simple Estate AffidavitORS 114.510Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, 30 daysORS 114.510Verified Sep 8, 2026View source after death, a court filing short of full probate.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Without a will in Oregon, a surviving spouse takes the entire estateORS § 112.025Verified Oct 21, 2026View source when every child of either spouse is a child of both, and descendants divide what passes to them per capita with representationORS § 112.065Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Oregon costs an estimated $24,214ORS 116.183 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 2%Modeled estimate under ORS 116.183 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.2%Modeled estimate under ORS 116.183 (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 under a reasonable-compensation standard.
Oregon Estate Planning Articles
Articles about estate planning, probate, and trusts relevant to families in Multnomah County.
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