Estate and legacy planning firm founded by Aimee D. Griffin, with a Washington, DC office on upper Wisconsin Avenue NW and offices in Upper Marlboro, MD and Arlington, VA. Assists families with probate after a loved one dies, petitions for guardianship and conservatorship of an adult who can no longer protect themselves or their assets, and litigation over breach of fiduciary duty or financial exploitation of an elder. Also prepares estate plans and business succession plans.
What to Do When Someone Dies in District of Columbia
How probate works in District of Columbia: the DC Superior Court - Probate Division record, what the process costs, and how to file there.
Probate Court Record
District of Columbia DC Superior Court - Probate Division
District of Columbia · DC Superior Court
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-5:00 PM
Office
515 Fifth Street Northwest, Court Building A, Room 314, Washington, DC 20001
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Walk-ins accepted
Self-represented filing
Allowed
Self-help forms
E-filing
Required for attorneysE-filing is mandatory for attorneys (whether serving as counsel, fiduciary, or otherwise) and for members of the Probate Fiduciary Panel, Examiners List, Visitors List and Non-Lawyer Guardians List (Administrative Order 22-30). Self-represented parties may e-file but are not required to; a self-represented party who e-files consents to e-service. All e-filings must be in PDF format. A party e-filing a petition must submit an addendum identifying related cases; after acceptance the petitioner, the Office of the Attorney General and the Office of Tax and Revenue are served with the petition package. The portal is eFileDC. On paper: Wills and codicils; Bonds; Confidential Information Form (Form 26); Form 27 (Financial Information); Initial pleadings that open a new Probate Division case and filings requiring court costs that vary in amount (e.g. new decedent estate cases) or deposits into the Estate Deposit Account; Supporting documents (for Inventories and Accounts) that contain financial information; Subpoenas for medical records and foreign subpoenas; Fee waivers (formerly applications to proceed in forma pauperis); Petitions to re-open the administration of an estate prior to 2005; Requests for extension of a personal representative's appointment in a closed case where bond or waivers must be filed.
Filing in person
Walk-ins acceptedThe Probate Clerk's Office (Room 314, third floor, Court Building A) and the Probate Self-Help Center (Room 318) take walk-ins Monday-Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM. Petitions for probate are reviewed by the Legal Branch at filing, and small estate petitions by a small estate specialist; an online booking link on the Probate Division page ("Make an Appointment to Review Your Petition") schedules a petition review, and a second link reserves a public computer.
Self-represented filing
AllowedSelf-represented parties may file probate matters; the court states the law does not require a lawyer to probate an estate. The Probate Self-Help Center provides form completion and printing before filing with the Probate Clerk's Office, and the large and small estate pages link a Forms Help Online guided interview at probono.net/dccourts/probate. E-filing is optional for self-represented filers, and a fee waiver in a probate case is filed on paper.
Accepted payment
- At the counterCash, Check, Money order.Estate court costs are paid by check or money order payable to "Register of Wills" or in cash. The conservatorship petition page states that all payment methods are accepted except Discover and American Express, that check and cash payments must be the exact amount, and that the filer can be sent a Prompt Pay link to pay online by credit card, debit card or ACH.
Self-help center
- Room 318, Court Building A, 515 Fifth Street NW1-202-508-1681 · Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-5:00 PMThe Probate Self-Help Center assists with general information on wills, small and large estates, and guardianships and conservatorships; users can fill out forms online and print them in the Center before filing with the Probate Clerk's Office. Staff do not give legal advice. The Probate Legal Assistance Network (PLAN: D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, Legal Counsel for the Elderly, DC Affordable Law Firm) offers brief same-day advice on estate matters by appointment on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9:15 AM to 12:30 PM, in Room 319 (sign-up book outside Room 319; walk-ins as capacity allows); PLAN does not assist with guardianship or conservatorship. The Court Navigator Program serves probate participants from Court Building B, 510 Fourth Street NW, Room 115, (202) 508-1672. Public computers in the Probate Division are reserved through the booking link on the division page.
Departments
- Probate Clerk's Office1-202-879-9460 · Room 314, 3rd Floor, Court Building A
- Legal Branch (petition review; small estate specialists)Room 314, 3rd Floor, Court Building A
- Auditing Branch, Duty Auditor (inventories, accounts, compensation requests)1-202-879-9447 · Room 313, Court Building A
- Auditing Branch Manager1-202-879-9429Answers questions on the status of an audit when no initial audit notice has arrived after an account is filed.
- Standing Appraiser1-202-879-9445Appraises tangible personal property valued over $1,000 for the inventory; call to schedule.
- Probate Self-Help Center1-202-508-1681 · Room 318, Court Building A
About the court
- DC is a federal district with no counties. All probate matters are handled by the single Probate Division of the DC Superior Court (Office of the Register of Wills), Court Building A, 515 Fifth Street NW.
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
How Probate Works in District of Columbia
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 the District of Columbia, probate runs through the DC Superior Court - Probate Division at 515 Fifth Street Northwest, Court Building A, Room 314, Washington. The court sits in the DC Superior Court.
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 the District of Columbia intestacy law when there is no will.
Most District of Columbia estates take 12 months to 18 months to move through this process. Creditors have 6 monthsD.C. Code §§ 20-704, 20-903, 20-905, 20-906, 20-908Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present a claim, counted from the first publication of the notice to creditors.
What Probate Costs in District of Columbia
What probate costs in the District of Columbia, District of Columbia 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 DC Superior Court - Probate Division at 515 Fifth Street Northwest, Court Building A, Room 314, Washington. The court is part of the DC Superior Court.
Procedures at this court that affect cost: Inventories, accounts, conservator's reports and requests for compensation are filed with the Duty Auditor station, 515 5th Street NW, Room 313, in person or by mail; filing in person lets the papers be reviewed for completeness. Inventories must be machine-printed or typewritten, and filings are assembled with binder clips rather than staples for imaging. Duty Auditor: 202-879-9447; Court costs are set by Probate Rule 108: a graduated cost on the value of the estate excluding real property (no charge at $500 or less, rising to $11,300 above $50 million), plus a flat $25 for all real property in the District of Columbia, both assessed and collected when the petition for probate is filed. Inventories, accounts and petitions for compensation carry no filing fee; an objection or any other motion or petition is $20; a claim is $5; a records search is $10; Guardianship Fund hourly rates as of October 1, 2023: attorneys serving as guardian, conservator, special conservator, guardian ad litem or visitor $110 (Administrative Order 23-06, effective January 1, 2023); Non-Lawyer Pilot Program guardians $80; medical examiners $120, non-medical examiners $95, and visitors and case reviewers $100 (Administrative Order 23-19, effective October 1, 2023).
District of Columbia charges $0 - $11,300 (graduated by personal property)Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108(a)(1); D.C. Code § 15-707Verified 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 the District of Columbia are negotiated, typically 2%Modeled estimate under D.C. Code § 20-753 (reasonableness review of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.1%Modeled estimate under D.C. Code § 20-753 (reasonableness review of attorney 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.
District of Columbia allows executors 'reasonable compensation' — around 2.2%–3.8% of a $500,000 estate, judging by what the states with statutory schedules payD.C. Code § 20-751 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Family members who are also beneficiaries often waive the fee — executor pay is taxable income while inheritances are not.
District of Columbia 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 D.C. Code § 20-502Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of estate value annually.
Probate in the District of Columbia typically runs 12 months to 18 months, and costs accrue throughout that period.
How to File Probate at the DC Superior Court - Probate Division
Probate cases in the District of Columbia, District of Columbia are filed at the DC Superior Court - Probate Division. The court sits in the DC Superior Court.
Beside the filing office, the court lists separate lines for Probate Clerk's Office, Legal Branch (petition review; small estate specialists), Auditing Branch, Duty Auditor, and Auditing Branch Manager.
The Probate Self-Help Center assists with general information on wills, small and large estates, and guardianships and conservatorships; users can fill out forms online and print them in the Center before filing with the Probate Clerk's Office. Staff do not give legal advice. The Probate Legal Assistance Network (PLAN: D.C. Bar Pro Bono Center, Legal Counsel for the Elderly, DC Affordable Law Firm) offers brief same-day advice on estate matters by appointment on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, 9:15 AM to 12:30 PM, in Room 319 (sign-up book outside Room 319; walk-ins as capacity allows); PLAN does not assist with guardianship or conservatorship. The Court Navigator Program serves probate participants from Court Building B, 510 Fourth Street NW, Room 115, (202) 508-1672. Public computers in the Probate Division are reserved through the booking link on the division page.
Can You File Without an Attorney?
In the District of Columbia, informal probate is not availableD.C. Code § 20-312(a)-(b) (permanent text: the Court appoints the PR and admits the will; Register of Wills is the Clerk of the Probate Division, not an appointing officer)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
For a full cost comparison and filing checklist, see the District of Columbia Self-Filing Assessment.
District of Columbia Filing Requirements
These are specific requirements for filing probate in this county. Following these guidelines will help avoid delays or rejected filings.
Before You File
Wills are filed with the Probate Clerk's Office, Room 314, within 90 days after death, with a Certificate of Filing Will; an Affidavit of Witness may be filed to explain an irregularity. There is no cost to file a will, and the Division does not accept wills before death. The will is docketed in a WIL case and the original is kept in storage.
SourceSmall estate petitions are presented to a small estate specialist in the Legal Branch (Room 314), who reviews the petition and the asset and debt documentation at filing; an incomplete petition is not accepted and is returned with a list of the missing items. Court costs for small estates are paid by check or money order payable to "Register of Wills" or in cash and depend on the value of the assets. Small estate questions the court's page does not answer go to Live Chat or 202-879-9460.
SourceA document that applies to several cases must be filed separately in each case unless the cases are consolidated by court order. The Register of Wills keeps wills, codicils, bonds and sealed documents in the case file; every other paper filing is returned to the filer after it is docketed and imaged into the case management system.
SourceCourt Appearances
Probate cases are referred to mediation at the Initial Scheduling Conference, the first appearance before a judge, and attendance at mediation is required; the notice or order setting the mediation is mailed to each party or counsel of record.
SourceRecords Access
A search for whether a decedent's estate has been opened uses the Case Information - Search Request Form mailed with a $10 check or money order payable to "Register of Wills" to the Probate Clerk's Office, Room 314; decedent estate dockets are also available free through Remote Public Access. Open cases and cases closed within ten years are kept in the Room 314 file room and may be inspected 8:30 AM to 5:00 PM Monday through Friday; older closed cases are at the Suitland Records Center or DC Archives and are retrieved with the Case Information - Archive Case Request Form, then held for viewing for at least two weeks.
SourceOther Requirements
The Probate Division publishes brochures and videos on decedents' estates, small estates, guardianships, conservatorships, trusts and foreign estates, with Spanish-language editions of the estate, small estate, guardianship and will-filing brochures.
SourceGetting to the DC Superior Court - Probate Division
Subway
Judiciary Square Metro Station (Red Line)
Parking
Metered street parking and nearby parking garages
Court Building A, 515 Fifth Street NW: main entrance on 5th Street; accessible entrances on the E Street and F Street sides of the building
What to Bring
Filed with the opening petition at the DC Superior Court - Probate Division: Original will and any codicils, with the Certificate of Filing Will (D.C. Code § 20-304(c): "exhibit the original of the will with the petition"; DC Courts ADM case-initiation checklist, "Will (if any) and Certificate of Filing Will"); Abbreviated Probate Order (abbreviated track) or Standard Probate Order (standard/formal track) — the proposed order lodged with the petition; Statement of acceptance of the duties of the office and written consent to D.C. personal jurisdiction (D.C. Code § 20-501; "Acceptance and Consent of Each Personal Representative" form)D.C. Code §§ 20-301 to 20-312 (opening the estate; petition for probate), § 20-303 (priority & exclusions), § 20-304 (petition contents), §§ 20-501 to 20-504 (appointment, bond & issuance of Letters)Verified Aug 24, 2026View source.
Death Certificates and the Medical Examiner in District of Columbia
In District of Columbia certified copies of the death certificate come from DC Health - Vital Records Division.
Vital Records Office Record
DC Health - Vital Records Division
District of Columbia · State vital records office
Phone
Hours
Monday-Tuesday 9:00 AM-1:00 PM; Wednesday 9:00 AM-3:30 PM; Thursday-Friday 9:00 AM-1:00 PM
Office
2201 Shannon Place Southeast, Washington, DC 20020
Website
Certified copies
From DC Health - Vital Records Division
Vital Record Mail Services
Attn: DC Vital Records
P.O. Box 222130
El Paso, TX 79913
Certified copy fees
| First certified copy | $18 |
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
State Medical Examiner
District of Columbia · Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Phone
Hours
Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM
Office
401 E Street Southwest, Washington, DC 20024
Website
Serves this county
Office of the Chief Medical Examiner
Cremation authorization
Signed by this office
Mail and offices
Fax
1-202-698-9101
Verified November 1, 2026 · Source
Transferring Property in District of Columbia
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 Recorder of Deeds.
Deeds and other real property documents for the District of Columbia are recorded with the Recorder of Deeds at 1101 4th Street Southwest, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20024. Phone: 1-202-727-5374. Hours: 8:30 AM-4:00 PM (deeds recorded 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM).
The Recorder of Deeds charges $25 flat, regardless of page count.
District of Columbia accepts electronic recording through CSC, Simplifile and ePN.
Recording Office Record
Recorder of Deeds
District of Columbia
Phone
Hours
8:30 AM-4:00 PM (deeds recorded 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM)
Office
1101 4th Street Southwest, Suite 500, Washington, DC 20024
Website
E-recording
Fax
1-202-727-9629
Recording fees
| Flat fee (any length) | $25 |
| Document SurchargeApplies to a TOD deed | $5 |
| Late Filing Penalty | $250 |
| Deed of Trust / Mortgage Recording Fee$150 (replaces the $30 base fee for deeds of trust, mortgages, modifications, amendments, or amended and restated deeds of trust) | |
| UCC Filing Fee | $25 |
| Transfer tax on a TOD deed | TOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax |
DC Code 42-1218 (ROD fee schedule); DC Code 42-1211(a) ($5 surcharge)
Verified October 16, 2026 · Source
Probate Attorneys Serving District of Columbia
District of Columbia allows independent administrationD.C. Code § 20-402Verified 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 the District of Columbia are based on reasonable compensation, billed hourly or as a flat fee. Ask a District of Columbia firm to quote a structure up front.
A probate attorney files the petition with the DC Superior Court - Probate Division, 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.
Washington, DC office of Lowenstein Sandler in Foggy Bottom (2200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW), home of Beth Shapiro Kaufman, National Chair of the firm's Private Client Services group and a former Associate Tax Legislative Counsel in the Treasury Office of Tax Policy. The trusts and estates group works with executors and trustees in estate administration and handles the fiduciary litigation that arises from it, and advises high-net-worth individuals and family offices on estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax planning and IRS controversies.
Georgetown estate practice at 1050 30th Street NW in Washington, founded by principal attorney Rodney C. Mitchell. Guides families through probate and estate administration and represents clients in disputes over an estate, alongside wills, trusts, asset protection, and elder-law work. Estate-planning, probate, will, and trust consultations can be booked online.
National firm whose Washington office sits on K Street NW across from Farragut Square, with attorneys there since 1942. The Private Clients, Trusts & Estates group handles probate, estate settlement, and trust administration, and represents fiduciaries and beneficiaries in trust and estate disputes. Also works with banks and trust companies serving as trustees and executors, and with family offices on multigenerational wealth transfer.
Washington tax firm on New Hampshire Avenue NW, founded in 1964 by former IRS Commissioner Mortimer M. Caplin and Douglas D. Drysdale, with a second office in New York. Its Private Client group handles probate and revocable trust administration, taking select new estates with foreign wills or foreign assets, post-mortem planning, or a residue passing to a charity. Also represents clients in IRS disputes over estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax.
Litigation firm headquartered on Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, serving the mid-Atlantic since 1984, with offices in Virginia, Maryland, New York, and West Virginia. Its Estate and Trust Litigation group represents personal representatives defending the will against disgruntled beneficiaries, litigates will contests (caveat proceedings) over testamentary capacity and undue influence, and represents trustees and beneficiaries in breach-of-fiduciary-duty, accounting, and trust-distribution disputes.
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.
Legal Sources
(10)·
- D.C. Code § 20-312(a)-(b) (permanent text: the Court appoints the PR and admits the will; Register of Wills is the Clerk of the Probate Division, not an appointing officer)
- D.C. Code § 20-402
- D.C. Code § 20-751 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)
- D.C. Code §§ 20-301 to 20-312 (opening the estate; petition for probate), § 20-303 (priority & exclusions), § 20-304 (petition contents), §§ 20-501 to 20-504 (appointment, bond & issuance of Letters)
- D.C. Code §§ 20-704, 20-903, 20-905, 20-906, 20-908
- Super. Ct. Prob. R. 108(a)(1); D.C. Code § 15-707
- DC Code 42-1218 (ROD fee schedule); DC Code 42-1211(a) ($5 surcharge)
- District of Columbia DC Superior Court - Probate Division, official page
- District of Columbia Recorder of Deeds, official page
- District of Columbia vital records and death investigation offices, official page
Data sourced from District of Columbia 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 District of Columbia
Free tools for settling an estate in the District of Columbia: whether probate is needed, executor and trustee pay, creditor deadlines and taxes. Run each tool.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in the District of Columbia: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysD.C. Code §§ 20-711 to 20-713.01Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 6 monthsD.C. Code §§ 20-704, 20-903, 20-905, 20-906, 20-908Verified Oct 18, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 6 months to 12 months.
See the Steps
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in the District of Columbia happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's Uniform Trust CodeD.C. Code § 19-1301.01 et seq. (D.C. Law 15-104, eff. Mar. 10, 2004)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 daysD.C. Code §§ 19-1308.13, 19-1310.05Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
See the Steps
Can I Self-File Probate?
In the District of Columbia, informal probate is not availableD.C. Code § 20-312(a)-(b) (permanent text: the Court appoints the PR and admits the will; Register of Wills is the Clerk of the Probate Division, not an appointing officer)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, so self-filing means a formal court petition rather than a registrar filing.
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