Required for attorneysAttorneys file through OJD eFile. A self-represented filer may file on paper at the counter or register for a free individual eFile account, and most courthouses have an eFiling kiosk during business hours. On paper: Self-represented filers are not required to e-file: the rule binds active Oregon State Bar licensees (UTCR 21.140); An original will is filed in its original form; when an image of it is e-filed, the original follows on paper within seven business days (UTCR 21.070(3)(h)).
Filing in person
Walk-ins acceptedThe public service counters in Pendleton and Hermiston are open during business hours, and most documents can be filed at either. The Pendleton drop box outside Room 230 on the second floor takes documents and payments from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM on business days, and anything deposited by 5:00 PM is date-stamped that business day.
Self-represented filing
AllowedThe Oregon Judicial Department's statewide estate forms are the simple estate packet (the small estate affidavit) and the claim against an estate.
Accepted payment
At the counterCash, Check, Money order, Credit card.The counters take cash, checks, and Visa, Mastercard and Discover cards. Checks and money orders are also taken by mail, and card payments by phone at 1-541-278-0341.
Departments
Hermiston courthouse1-541-667-3020 · Stafford Hansell Government Center, 915 Southeast Columbia Drive, Hermiston, OR 97838Most Umatilla County documents can be filed at the Hermiston location as well as in Pendleton, with the court offices on the second floor. Its drop box on the north wall outside the main entrance takes filings and payments at any time.
About the court
The courtrooms and court offices are on the second floor of the Umatilla County Courthouse, past a security checkpoint. The same court serves Morrow County from the courthouse in Heppner.
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 Umatilla County, probate runs through the Circuit Court at 216 Southeast Fourth Street, Pendleton. The court sits in the 6th Judicial District.
The personal representative opens the case, gives notice to heirs and creditors, files an inventory of the estate's assets, settles outstanding debts and taxes, and then distributes the remainder under the will — or under Oregon intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Oregon estates take 6 months to 12 months to move through this process. Creditors have 4 monthsORS §§ 113.155, 115.003, 115.005, 115.125Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What Probate Costs in Umatilla County
What probate costs in Umatilla County, Oregon comes down to a handful of line items — the court filing fee, attorney and executor compensation, publication, and sometimes a bond — scaled by the estate's size and whether the will is contested. The case itself runs through the Circuit Court at 216 Southeast Fourth Street, Pendleton. The court is part of the 6th Judicial District.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: Original checks and vouchers are kept by the personal representative or the attorney and are not filed with an accounting (SLR 9.105).
Oregon charges $278 - $1,176 (based on estate value)ORS 21.170(1)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source to open probate, the same in every county. Additional filings during administration — inventory, accounting, the final petition — add to the total.
Estimate the costs for this estate:
Attorney fees in Oregon are negotiated, typically 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 estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Oregon sets executor compensation by statute — about $10,630 on a $500,000 estate, roughly 2.1%ORS 116.173 (7% first $1K, 4% $1K-$10K, 3% $10K-$50K, 2% over $50K, on property subject to the court’s jurisdiction; 1% of other property reportable for estate tax; extraordinary services)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
Oregon requires publishing notice to creditors in a local newspaper, and the estate pays for it.
A surety bond may be required unless the will waives it or all beneficiaries consent. Premiums run roughly 0.5%Industry surety premium estimate; the bond itself under ORS 113.105Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in Oregon typically runs 6 months to 12 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the Circuit Court
Probate cases in Umatilla County, Oregon are filed at the Circuit Court. The court sits in the 6th Judicial District.
Beside the filing office, the court lists a separate line for Hermiston courthouse.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
Oregon has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is not available.
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Before You File
A missed or deficient filing brings a courtesy notice first, then an order to show cause if it is not cured in time (SLR 9.035).
Once an order to show cause issues, the personal representative and counsel appear at the hearing even if the defect has since been cured, unless the court orders otherwise.
A personal representative who appears without a lawyer gives the court notice and proof of competence (SLR 9.045).
A personal representative or conservator who intends to act for the estate without an attorney notifies the court and shows competence to do so, and the court acts if the proof does not assure that the estate will be protected and properly administered.
A non-professional personal representative registers for the court's fiduciary class within 15 days and completes it within 90 days of appointment (SLR 9.076).
The certificate of completion is filed with the Probate Department. A waiver for good cause is requested by motion within 15 days of the court's notice, and the class fee is a cost of administration of the estate.
The personal representative of an intestate estate may be required to post a bond even as the sole heir, if the court is not satisfied that creditors will be paid (SLR 9.055).
Filed with the opening petition at the Circuit Court: Original will and any codicils, with an affidavit of attesting witness or affidavit of genuine signature (ORS 113.055); Petition for appointment of personal representative stating decedent, venue, heirs/devisees, and nominee (ORS 113.035) — typed pleading, no statewide form; Proposed limited judgment of appointment of personal representative; Bond unless waived by the will or because the PR is the sole heir/devisee (ORS 113.105)ORS 113.035 (petition for appointment), 113.105 (bond), 113.125 (issuance of letters)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Medical Examiner in Umatilla County
In Oregon a death is registered locally, and in Umatilla County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Umatilla County Public Health as well as by Oregon Health Authority - Center for Health Statistics.
Clearing title to real estate after a death, whether by a personal representative’s deed, an affidavit of survivorship, or a court order, happens at the County Clerk.
Deeds and other real property documents for Umatilla County are recorded with the County Clerk at 216 Southeast 4th Street, Room 116, Pendleton, OR 97801. Phone: 1-541-278-6236. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.
The County Clerk charges $96 for the first page plus $5 for each additional page.
Umatilla County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile, CSC, ePN and Indecomm.
Oregon allows independent administrationORS 114.275Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, so the personal representative manages, pays and distributes the estate without returning to the court for approval at each step. A probate attorney earns the fee when the estate is contested, includes a business or out-of-state real estate, has unclear or insolvent debts, or when beneficiaries disagree.
Probate attorney fees in Oregon are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask an Umatilla County firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the Circuit Court, publishes the required creditor notices, prepares the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. They represent the personal representative — not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if a dispute develops.
Baum Smith LLC is a La Grande law firm representing individuals, businesses, and public-sector clients across Eastern Oregon, with practice areas including estate planning, civil litigation, municipal law, eminent domain, criminal defense, and real estate and land use. The firm serves Union, Wallowa, Baker, and Umatilla counties.
Centennial Law LLC serves Eastern Oregon from its La Grande office, focusing on trusts and estates, estate planning, probate, and trust administration, along with guardianship and conservatorship proceedings. Attorney Glenn Null brings more than 20 years of Oregon practice.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateConservatorshipand 2 more
Clooten Law is a family-owned firm with offices in Hermiston and Pendleton serving Umatilla County. Established in 2013, the firm prepares estate planning documents including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance medical directives, and also handles probate, family law, and bankruptcy.
Grable Hantke Law Group is a Pendleton firm serving Eastern Oregon with estate planning, wills, trusts, and probate, alongside elder law and family law. Attorney Seth Hantke focuses on elder law, including guardianships, conservatorships, and trust and estate matters.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 3 more
Works from Pendleton across Eastern Oregon and southeast Washington, including the Umatilla, Morrow, and Union county courts. Handles estate, trust, and probate matters alongside the agricultural and real estate work that shapes farm and ranch estates. Established 1945, and one of the largest firms in the region.
Anderson Hansell PC has served the Hermiston area since 1976, providing estate planning and probate services for farms, ranches, businesses, and individuals throughout Eastern Oregon. The firm assists clients with wills, trusts, powers of attorney, advance directives, tax planning, probate, and trust administration.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.
Data sourced from Oregon statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Tools for Settling an Estate in Oregon
Free tools for settling an estate in Oregon: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines 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.
See the Steps
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.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
Oregon has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is not available.
Enter the estate value to see Oregon attorney fees, executor fees, court costs and the timeline.
Examples:
General information about probate costs, not legal or financial advice. Fee bases vary by state and may use gross estate, personal property, inventory value or net property after debts. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
$
See whether you can file probate yourself
Enter the estate value to see whether Oregon lets a self-represented person open probate, what the court requires, and what each route costs.
General information about filing probate without a lawyer, not legal advice. Both routes are priced by the probate cost estimator on the same estate; the attorney fee is the one line that differs. Actual costs vary by county, attorney and estate complexity. Consult a licensed attorney for legal questions.
