How probate works in Arlington County: the Circuit Court record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
Arlington County · 17th Judicial Circuit
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Files probate
Filing in person
Self-represented filing
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Filing in person
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About the court
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
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 Arlington County, probate runs through the Circuit Court at 1425 North Courthouse Road, Arlington. The court sits in the 17th Judicial Circuit. The same 17th Judicial Circuit also serves Falls Church.
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 Virginia intestacy law when there is no will.
Most Virginia estates take 9 months to 12 months to move through this process. Creditors have 6 monthsVa. Code §§ 64.2-508.1, 64.2-528, 64.2-529, 64.2-550, 64.2-552, 64.2-556Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What probate costs in Arlington County, Virginia 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 1425 North Courthouse Road, Arlington. The court is part of the 17th Judicial Circuit.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: Arlington County adds a local probate tax of one-third of the state probate tax, and a real estate affidavit carries a local fee beside the state fee.
Virginia charges $0 - $30 (based on estate value)Va. Code § 17.1-275(A)(3)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 Virginia are negotiated, typically 2.5%Modeled estimate under Va. Code §§ 64.2-105(B)(12) (fiduciary employs and compensates counsel), 64.2-1208(A) (commissioner of accounts allows reasonable expenses; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source to 3.9%Modeled estimate under Va. Code §§ 64.2-105(B)(12) (fiduciary employs and compensates counsel), 64.2-1208(A) (commissioner of accounts allows reasonable expenses; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source of estate value. Flat-fee arrangements are common for straightforward estates.
Virginia allows executors 'reasonable compensation' — around 2.2%–3.8% of a $500,000 estate, judging by what the states with statutory schedules payVa. Code § 64.2-1208(A) (commissioner of accounts allows reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 9, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
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 Va. Code §§ 64.2-504(A) (bond required at qualification), 64.2-505(A)(2) (security waived when the will so directs)Verified Sep 9, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in Virginia typically runs 9 months to 12 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
Probate cases in Arlington County are filed at the Probate Office of the Circuit Court. File in person during business hours or by mail. The court sits in the 17th Judicial Circuit.
In Virginia, informal probate is not available, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the Arlington County Self-Filing Assessment.
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
The Probate Office takes the application for probate and qualification and its supporting papers by email to probate@arlingtonva.us or by fax before it schedules the appointment. The clerk probates only an original will, so the will itself is delivered to the office in person or by mail. The court's TrueFiling system is for attorneys in civil and criminal cases.
SourceA surety bond, where one is required, needs a bonding company's pre-approval before the Probate Office starts the qualification, and a nonresident fiduciary who must give bond appoints a Virginia resident agent on Form CC-1610.
SourceThe Probate Office keeps original wills of Arlington County and City of Falls Church residents for safekeeping for a $5 fee.
SourceFiled with the opening petition at the Circuit Court: Certified copy of the death certificate (or, where the clerk accepts it, a copy of the obituary); Original will and any codicils, if the decedent left a will (Va. Code §§ 64.2-443, 64.2-444); Completed Probate Information Form (CC-1650) — the application for appointment of an executor or administrator; List of Heirs (CC-1611), the decedent's heirs at law, sworn and filed at qualification whether the decedent died testate or intestate (Va. Code § 64.2-509(A)); Probate Tax Return (CC-1651), filed with the clerk when the estate exceeds $15,000 in value (Va. Code § 58.1-1714)Va. Code §§ 64.2-443 (circuit court jurisdiction), 64.2-444 (clerk authority to admit wills and qualify representatives), 64.2-500 to 64.2-508.1 (grant, oath, bond, security, certificate of qualification), 64.2-509 (list of heirs), 64.2-1426 (nonresident fiduciaries)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
In Virginia a death is registered locally, and in Arlington County certified copies of the death certificate are issued by Arlington County Department of Human Services, Public Health Vital Records as well as by Virginia Department of Health - Office of Vital Records.
Vital Records Office Record
Arlington County · Arlington County Department of Human Services, Public Health Vital Records
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| First certified copy | $15 |
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Arlington County · Office of the Chief Medical Examiner, Northern District
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Serves this county
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Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
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 Clerk of the Circuit Court.
Deeds and other real property documents for Arlington County are recorded with the Clerk of the Circuit Court at 1425 North Courthouse Road, Suite 6200, Arlington, VA 22201. Phone: 1-703-228-4369. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:00 PM.
The Clerk of the Circuit Court charges $26 for 1-10 pages, $40 for 11-30 pages, $60 for 31+ pages.
Arlington County accepts electronic recording through Simplifile and CSC.
Recording Office Record
Arlington County
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E-recording
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Recording fees
| 1-10 pages | $26 |
| 11-30 pages | $40 |
| 31+ pages | $60 |
| Open-Space Preservation Fee (Virginia Outdoors Foundation)Applies to a TOD deed | $3 |
| Land Book Transfer FeeApplies to a TOD deed | $1 |
| Deed Processing FeeNot required for a TOD deed | $20 |
| Paper-Filing Fee (clerks offering electronic land-record filing) | Up to $5.00 per instrument |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax |
Va. Code 17.1-275 (subdivision A 2), 17.1-279; add-ons at Va. Code 58.1-817, 58.1-3314(3), 17.1-258.3:1 and Appropriation Act Item 3-6.01
Verified October 17, 2026 · Source
Virginia uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in Arlington County — the filing sequence, notice requirements, and accounting leave little room for error. Estates under the small-estate threshold are the usual exception.
Probate attorney fees in Virginia are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask an Arlington 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.
FirmArlington, VA
Arlington firm on Clarendon Boulevard serving Arlington, Alexandria, and Fairfax across Virginia, Maryland, and the District. Its probate, estate, and trust administration practice guides personal representatives and trustees through qualification, asset marshalling, and distribution, alongside will and trust drafting.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateWills Trusts
FirmTysons, VA
Tysons firm serving Northern Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. Builds revocable-trust-centered plans and advanced vehicles — special-needs, charitable, and life-insurance trusts — and handles trust and estate administration, financial powers of attorney, and health-care directives. Founder Deborah Cochran has more than three decades in estate and tax planning.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateBusiness Succession PlanningCharitable Planning
FirmArlington, VA
Arlington firm on Wilson Boulevard serving Arlington, Alexandria, and the Northern Virginia courts. Handles probate and trust administration for executors and trustees, alongside guardianship and conservatorship petitions for incapacitated adults and minors. Attorney Kyle Epting has focused on estate planning and probate for fifteen years, and the firm offers a free initial consultation.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateConservatorshipand 2 more
FirmAlexandria, VA
Old Town Alexandria firm serving Alexandria, Arlington, Fairfax, Loudoun, and Prince William. Walks executors through the appointed tasks of settling an estate, or handles the probate start to finish, and takes trust administration, guardianship and conservatorship, and contested estates. Also licensed in DC and Maryland, which matters when the estate holds property across the line.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateConservatorshipand 2 more
FirmFairfax, VA
Fairfax firm serving Northern Virginia through the Fairfax County Circuit Court and Commissioner of Accounts since 1980. Handles probate and estate administration for executors and heirs, trust administration, estate and trust disputes and litigation, elder law, and special-needs planning. Provides fixed-price quotes for defined estate matters.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbate LitigationElder LawSpecial Needs PlanningWills Trusts
FirmVienna, VA
Vienna firm serving Fairfax County and the wider Washington region, licensed in Virginia, Maryland, and the District of Columbia. Estate and trust administration and probate are a named practice, alongside elder law, special-needs planning, and international tax and planning for cross-border estates. Offers a complimentary thirty-minute consultation.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawSpecial Needs Planning
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 Virginia statutes and official state code. Fee percentages are modeled estimates; each figure's note says how. How we research.
Free tools for settling an estate in Virginia: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool for Virginia.
Settling an estate in Virginia: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 120 daysVa. Code § 64.2-1300Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 6 monthsVa. Code §§ 64.2-508.1, 64.2-528, 64.2-529, 64.2-550, 64.2-552, 64.2-556Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 9 months.
Settling a trust in Virginia happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeVa. Code § 64.2-700 et seq.Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 daysVa. Code §§ 64.2-775, 64.2-796Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
In Virginia, informal probate is not available, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
Browse vetted Virginia attorneys handling probate matters.
Each institution has a separate death claim process. Find yours below.
Get a complete guide for your specific circumstances.
Enter the estate value to see Virginia attorney fees, executor fees, court costs and the timeline.
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.
Enter the estate value to see whether Virginia 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.
