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 take filings during court hours. The drop box at the courthouse is checked daily at 5:00 PM: an item left between 4:30 and 5:00 PM is received that business day, and one left after 5:00 PM the next 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, Debit card.The court accepts cash, checks, money orders, and Visa, Mastercard and Discover cards, in U.S. dollars only. Card payments are also taken by phone at 1-541-962-9500.
About the court
The public service counters close at 4:30 PM while courtrooms run until 5:00 PM. Visitors pass through a security checkpoint, and the court shares its judges with Wallowa 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 Union County, probate runs through the Circuit Court at 1105 K Avenue, La Grande. The court sits in the 10th 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 Union County
What probate costs in Union 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 1105 K Avenue, La Grande. The court is part of the 10th Judicial District.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: An estate accounting adds a summary of the beginning balance, receipts, disbursements and ending balance right after the accounting period (SLR 9.161); An estate open a year or more reports its status and the expected closing date in the annual accounting (SLR 9.165).
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 Union County, Oregon are filed at the Circuit Court. The court sits in the 10th Judicial District.
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 probate commissioner acts on uncontested petitions to admit a will and appoint a personal representative, and sets and approves the bond (SLR 9.135).
Where wrongful death or personal injury proceeds are not the estate's only assets, the initial petition says so in a separate titled paragraph (SLR 9.052).
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 Union County
In Oregon a death is registered locally, and in Union County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Center for Human Development, Union County 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 Union County are recorded with the County Clerk at 1001 4th Street, Suite D, La Grande, OR 97850. Phone: 1-541-963-1006. Hours: Monday-Thursday 8:30 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-5:00 PM; Friday 9:00 AM-noon and 1:00 PM-4:00 PM.
The County Clerk charges $90 for the first page plus $5 for each additional page.
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 Union 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
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
Cory Larvik Attorney PC serves clients throughout Northeast Oregon, covering Union, Baker, Wallowa, Grant, and Umatilla Counties. The firm provides estate planning services including simple wills, lifetime gifts, complex trusts, and trust administration. Cory Larvik has been serving the La Grande area for over 16 years.
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.
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.
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.
