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When to consider hiring help, what to look for in a probate attorney, and firms serving District of Columbia.
We found 51 estate law firms serving District of Columbia.
These firms handle estate administration, will contests, trust litigation, and other probate matters in District of Columbia DC Superior Court - Probate Division.
District of Columbia uses formal, court-supervised probate, which makes an attorney worthwhile for most estates in District of Columbia — 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 District of Columbia are based on reasonable compensation — typically 2%D.C. Code § 20-753 (reasonableness review of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Jun 10, 2026 to 4%D.C. Code § 20-753 (reasonableness review of attorney compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Jun 10, 2026 of the estate's value, 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.
These firms serve clients throughout District of Columbia.
Downtown DC firm off Dupont Circle (DeSales Street NW) handling probate administration and estate planning for District families. Probates estates through the DC Superior Court Probate Division, drafts wills and living trusts, and administers trusts after a death. Offers a free Zoom or phone consultation.
Location
1725 DeSales Street NW, Suite 600Washington, DC 20036
Phone
(202) 803-5676
Service Area
Statewide
Estate planning firm run by Suren Adams out of Bowie, MD with a downtown DC satellite on Connecticut Avenue NW, serving Prince George's County and District families since 2003. Drafts wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives, handles probate, and pursues guardianships for minor children. Runs free estate planning workshops.
Location
1025 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 1012Washington, DC 20036
Phone
(301) 805-5892
Service Area
Statewide
Since 1942, attorneys in the Washington, DC office have served as trusted advisors. The Private Clients, Trusts & Estates Group has more than 25 attorneys providing estate planning, wealth transfer strategies, and probate administration.
Location
1717 K Street NWWashington, DC 20006
Phone
(202) 857-6000
Established
1942
Service Area
Statewide
DC firm combining family law and estate planning, serving the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Drafts wills, trusts, and advance directives alongside adoption and family law matters.
Location
503 D Street NW, Suite 210Washington, DC 20001
Phone
(202) 670-5291
Service Area
Statewide
Boutique Washington tax firm near Dupont Circle (New Hampshire Avenue NW) founded by former IRS Commissioner Mortimer Caplin, whose Private Client group handles wills, trusts, and the administration of trusts and estates. Works on cross-border and high-value matters: gift and generation-skipping tax, foreign trusts, and IRS estate-tax disputes for families, family offices, and fiduciaries.
Location
1200 New Hampshire Avenue NW, 8th FloorWashington, DC 20036
Phone
(202) 862-5000
Service Area
Statewide
International law firm known as a white-shoe firm, headquartered in Washington, DC. Estate planning practice focused on trusts and estates, including estate planning, administration and tax issues.
Location
850 Tenth Street NWWashington, DC 20001
Phone
(202) 662-6000
Service Area
Statewide
Nonprofit law firm supporting DC residents who do not qualify for traditional free legal aid and cannot afford costly representation. Partners with DC's Department of Housing and Community Development to run the District's first Heirs' Property Assistance Program.
Location
1717 K Street NWWashington, DC 20006
Phone
(202) 844-5430
Service Area
Statewide
Washington, DC firm near Union Station (Massachusetts Avenue NW) working at the intersection of family law, elder law, and estate planning. Led by Judith del Cuadro-Zimmerman, it administers complex estates and petitions for conservatorships and guardianships when someone dies or loses capacity without a plan. Available Saturdays by request.
Location
200 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 700Washington, DC 20001
Service Area
Statewide
Boutique elder-law and estate firm on 19th Street NW in downtown Washington, founded 1999 and led by Robert Bullock, a Certified Elder Law Attorney. Serves aging, disabled, and long-term-care clients with Medicaid eligibility, special-needs trusts, guardianships, and probate and trust administration. Offers a free initial consultation across DC, Maryland, and Virginia.
Location
1111 19th Street NW, Suite 760DWashington, DC 20036
Phone
(202) 452-0000
Established
1999
Service Area
Statewide
Boutique trusts-and-estates firm at 17th and L Streets NW in downtown Washington, one block from Farragut North. Handles estate planning, charitable gift planning, and estate and trust administration, including federal transfer-tax work (estate, gift, and generation-skipping tax) for modest to large estates, domestic and international.
Location
1101 17th Street NW, Suite 820Washington, DC 20036
Phone
(202) 857-3434
Service Area
Statewide
Multi-state law firm founded in 2011 with a Washington, DC office near downtown government agencies. Combines tax controversy expertise with estate planning and administration, including international estate planning. Founder Glen Frost is a Tax Attorney, CPA, and CFP.
Location
1050 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 500Washington, DC 20036
Phone
(202) 618-1873
Established
2011
Service Area
Statewide
Award-winning, women-owned firm founded in 2011 serving DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Trusts and estates practice handles wills, trusts, probate, and tax planning. Recognized as a 2026 Best Law Firm by Best Lawyers and 2026 Certified Inclusive Workplace.
Location
1250 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 700Washington, DC 20036
Phone
(703) 687-6188
Established
2011
Service Area
Statewide
Private-wealth firm on Wisconsin Avenue NW in Glover Park, Washington, handling probate and trust administration, fiduciary counseling for professional and lay fiduciaries, and gift and estate tax return preparation. Also does irrevocable trust and special-needs planning, including cross-border estates with FATCA and CRS reporting.
Location
2233 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 400Washington, DC 20007
Phone
(202) 686-4842
Established
2003
Service Area
Statewide
National firm whose Washington, DC office on 17th Street NW houses one of its Private Wealth Services teams, representing executors, trustees, and beneficiaries in will, trust, and estate disputes. The Fiduciary Litigation group handles contested accountings, breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims, and removal actions alongside high-net-worth estate and trust administration.
Location
800 17th Street NW, Suite 1100Washington, DC 20006
Phone
(202) 955-3000
Service Area
Statewide
Solo estate-planning practice near Dupont Circle drafting living trusts, wills, powers of attorney, irrevocable trusts, and advance medical directives, with probate-avoidance planning. Attorney Lev Iwashko serves clients in English, Ukrainian, Spanish, and Russian and offers extended evening and Saturday hours.
Location
1250 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 700Washington, DC 20036
Phone
(202) 441-5043
Service Area
Statewide
Tax-focused Washington boutique on K Street NW, practicing exclusively in federal tax, benefits, and estate and gift tax law since 1935. Handles estate and trust administration, GST-protected trusts, entity valuations, and private-foundation and charitable-gift planning for multi-generational families.
Location
1717 K Street NW, Suite 600Washington, DC 20006
Phone
(202) 393-7600
Established
1935
Service Area
Statewide
Solo trusts-and-estates practice on Maryland Avenue NE on Capitol Hill, one of the few estate attorneys based in the Northeast quadrant. Handles wills, trusts, probate, and will contests, with a niche in art-collection estate planning. Founder James Larry Frazier is a member of the Washington, D.C. Estate Planning Council.
Location
918 Maryland Avenue NEWashington, DC 20002
Phone
(202) 544-9455
Service Area
Statewide
Founded over 23 years ago, focuses exclusively on estate planning and administration. All attorneys licensed in Maryland; many also in DC and Virginia. Featured on Fox 5 Washington DC discussing the importance of estate planning.
Location
1825 K Street NW, Suite 950Washington, DC 20006
Phone
(202) 600-2700
Established
2000
Service Area
Statewide
Probate-litigation-focused solo on K Street NW serving DC for decades. Handles probate administration, will contests, and disputes over asset distribution, plus drafting of wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives. Veteran litigator who also takes guardianship and conservatorship matters; evening and weekend appointments by request.
Location
1717 K Street NW, Suite 900Washington, DC 20006
Phone
(202) 466-4334
Service Area
Statewide
Boutique estate-planning practice on 12th Street NW in Penn Quarter, serving the District and New Jersey. Drafts wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and medical directives, handles probate and trust administration, and provides in-house witnesses and notary for document signing.
Location
700 12th Street NW, Suite 700Washington, DC 20005
Phone
(202) 351-6825
Service Area
Statewide
One of the oldest law firms in Washington, DC, tracing its roots to 1887. Represents small and large businesses, individuals and families, and not-for-profit organizations with a dedicated Trusts & Estates Practice Group.
Location
2300 N Street NW, Suite 300Washington, DC 20037
Phone
(202) 457-1600
Established
1887
Service Area
Statewide
Boutique estate-planning practice on New Jersey Avenue SE in Navy Yard / Capitol Hill SE, one of the few estate firms physically located in Southeast DC. Offers tiered will and trust planning, legacy and family-business planning, and probate, with online appointment booking.
Location
853 New Jersey Avenue SEWashington, DC 20003
Phone
(202) 978-2247
Service Area
Statewide
International boutique firm with offices in Washington DC, New York, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai. The Trusts & Estates and International Private Client Services practices serve high net worth individuals and families with cross-border estate planning needs.
Location
888 17th Street NW, Suite 1200Washington, DC 20006
Phone
(202) 223-5600
Service Area
Statewide
Estate planning practice in the Mount Vernon Triangle neighborhood serving the Washington, DC community with a particular focus on LGBTQ+ individuals, Foreign Service Officers living overseas, and clients with complex or high-net-worth estates. Offers a satisfaction guarantee.
Location
650 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Suite 600Washington, DC 20001
Phone
(771) 888-5187
Service Area
Statewide
Trusts-and-estates group of Price Benowitz LLP on 7th Street NW in Penn Quarter, chaired by Kerri Castellini, handling probate, estate administration, and adult and minor guardianships, serving DC, Maryland, and Virginia. Also drafts wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives, and offers a free telephone case evaluation.
Location
409 7th Street NW, Suite 215Washington, DC 20004
Phone
(202) 852-8569
Service Area
Statewide
Estate planning firm on Pennsylvania Avenue NW in downtown Washington, led by Michelle Lanchester with 30+ years of experience and a second office in Largo, MD. Drafts wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and advance directives, serving DC and Maryland families. Offers a free initial consultation.
Location
601 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, Suite 900-SouthWashington, DC 20004
Phone
(202) 220-3000
Service Area
Statewide
Capitol Hill / Northeast DC estate planning solo practice. Offers house calls and Saturday hours for client convenience. One of the few estate planning firms physically located in Northeast DC near Lincoln Park.
Location
411 10th Street NEWashington, DC 20002
Phone
(202) 330-3965
Service Area
Statewide
Affordable estate planning practice founded in 2016 serving Washington, DC and the surrounding Northern Virginia and Bethesda areas. Drafts wills, trusts, and powers of attorney with a friendly, accessible approach.
Location
1200 18th Street NW, Suite 700Washington, DC 20036
Phone
(202) 769-0505
Established
2016
Service Area
Statewide
Woman-owned Capitol Hill / Southeast DC estate planning firm serving DC and Maryland. Both attorneys have served on the fiduciary panel of the Probate Division of the DC Superior Court. One of the few estate planning firms physically located east of the Capitol.
Location
1008 Pennsylvania Avenue SEWashington, DC 20003
Phone
(202) 544-2200
Service Area
Statewide
Black-owned and women-owned estate and legacy planning firm serving DC, Virginia, Maryland, and Philadelphia. Founder is also founder and President of the Association of Black Estate Planning Professionals, Inc.
Location
5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 440Washington, DC 20015
Phone
(855) 574-8481
Service Area
Statewide
Estate and fiduciary practice overlooking Farragut Square in downtown Washington, steps from the Farragut North and West Metro stations. Drafts wills, trusts, and powers of attorney, and guides executors and trustees through DC estate and trust administration. Also handles charitable and business-entity formation and governance.
Location
1717 K Street NW, Suite 900Washington, DC 20006
Phone
(202) 240-2362
Service Area
Statewide
Solo general-practice and trial attorney near Dupont Circle (2001 M Street NW) in Washington, representing individuals and small businesses since 1984. Probates large and small DC estates, drafts living trusts and powers of attorney, manages conservatorships, and litigates will caveats and claims against estates. Traces property passed through multiple generations.
Location
2001 M Street NWWashington, DC 20036
Phone
(202) 530-0100
Established
1984
Service Area
Statewide
Solo trust-and-estate practice in Georgetown, Washington (1025 Thomas Jefferson Street NW), concentrating on federal tax and estate planning and administration. Handles estate and business-succession planning, asset protection, and international tax matters for individuals, families, and closely held businesses.
Location
1025 Thomas Jefferson Street NW, Suite 420 EastWashington, DC 20007
Phone
(202) 965-7748
Service Area
Statewide
Estate planning and elder-law practice in Friendship Heights, Washington (5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW), at the Maryland line, with 30+ years of experience. Handles DC probate, special-needs trusts that preserve government benefits, business-succession planning, and elder-law matters. Offers a free phone consultation.
Location
5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 440Washington, DC 20015
Phone
(202) 895-2799
Established
1981
Service Area
Statewide
Long-established solo practice providing affordable probate and estate planning services throughout Washington, DC and suburban Maryland. Serves all DC neighborhoods including Northeast, Southeast, and Capitol Hill. Over 40 years of practice.
Location
1025 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 1012Washington, DC 20036
Phone
(202) 783-7177
Established
1983
Service Area
Statewide
National firm's Washington, DC Private Client team, led by partner Mary Ann Mancini near Mount Vernon Square (901 New York Avenue NW). Counsels high-net-worth families on estate planning built around real-estate ownership, closely held businesses, and life insurance, including irrevocable dynasty trusts and entity structuring.
Location
901 New York Avenue NW, Suite 300 EastWashington, DC 20001
Phone
(202) 618-5000
Service Area
Statewide
Washington, DC base of Lowenstein Sandler's Private Client Services group (2200 Pennsylvania Avenue NW), chaired nationally from this office by Beth Shapiro Kaufman, former Treasury tax-policy counsel. Advises high-net-worth families and family offices on estate, gift, and generation-skipping transfer tax planning, foundations, and IRS controversies.
Location
2200 Pennsylvania Avenue NWWashington, DC 20037
Phone
(202) 753-3800
Service Area
Statewide
Washington, DC office of a global firm (500 North Capitol Street NW), home to a flagship Private Client practice led by Leigh-Alexandra Basha. Advises affluent domestic and international families on estate and trust administration, foreign trust planning, family wealth preservation, business succession, expatriation, and pre-immigration planning alongside wills and trusts.
Location
500 North Capitol Street NWWashington, DC 20001
Phone
(202) 756-8000
Established
1934
Service Area
Statewide
Georgetown, Washington office (by appointment) of Andre O. McDonald's elder-law and estate-planning practice, headquartered in Columbia, MD. Focuses on Medicaid and long-term-care planning, special-needs trusts, and veterans pension planning, plus wills, powers of attorney, and trust administration. Every client works directly with the founding attorney.
Location
1025 Thomas Jefferson Street NW, Suite 400Washington, DC 20007
Phone
(202) 640-2133
Service Area
Statewide
Solo estate practice in the historic Foundry Building on the C&O Canal in Georgetown, Washington (1050 30th Street NW), run by Rodney Mitchell with 20+ years of experience. Builds living trusts, wills, and powers of attorney, and handles DC estate administration, asset protection, and estate litigation. Online booking for estate-planning, probate, will, and trust consultations.
Location
1050 30th Street NWWashington, DC 20007
Phone
(202) 210-1223
Service Area
Statewide
Founded 1982 and based on 17th Street NW near Farragut Square, QRG pairs estate planning with a deep elder-law and Medicaid-eligibility practice serving DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia families. The team-based approach brings in social workers and geriatric care managers alongside attorneys for trust administration, fiduciary services, and long-term-care planning.
Location
888 17th Street NW, Suite 640Washington, DC 20006
Phone
(202) 842-9300
Established
1982
Service Area
Statewide
Private-client practice on K Street NW in Washington led by Priya Prakash Royal, a former IRS Estate and Gift Tax Division attorney. Handles DC estate administration and gift/estate tax compliance alongside cross-border and intergenerational wealth structuring: foreign assets, grantor trusts, and IRS valuation and audit matters. Consults remotely across states and internationally.
Location
1629 K Street NW, Suite 300Washington, DC 20006
Phone
(202) 964-0753
Service Area
Statewide
Capitol Hill elder-law and estate-planning practice on G Street SE, one of the few estate firms outside the Northwest DC corridor, serving DC, Maryland, and Virginia families. Founder David Jonathan Taylor is a CELA-certified elder law attorney handling Medicaid eligibility, long-term-care planning, incapacity and guardianship protection, and probate.
Location
621 G Street SEWashington, DC 20003
Phone
(202) 546-1536
Service Area
Statewide
Estate planning practice focused on keeping families out of court and out of conflict. Specializes in serving the LGBTQ community, real estate investors, and parents of minor children. Licensed in DC, MD, and VA.
Location
1 Thomas Circle NW, Suite 700Washington, DC 20005
Phone
(202) 559-1651
Service Area
Statewide
Washington, DC-based law firm combining real estate, estate planning, and business law expertise. Founded by an attorney who is also a licensed real estate broker with over two decades of experience purchasing, developing, and managing properties in the DC region.
Location
1218 11th Street NW, Suite 100Washington, DC 20001
Phone
(202) 792-5850
Established
2007
Service Area
Statewide
Tax-controversy firm on Eye Street NW in downtown Washington whose probate practice centers on the harder, contested side of estate administration. Founded by former IRS attorney Kevin Thorn, the firm handles DC will contests, personal-representative appointment disputes, court-ordered inventories and accountings, contested asset valuations, and IRS or estate-tax claims pressed against an estate.
Location
1775 Eye Street NW, Suite 1150Washington, DC 20006
Phone
(202) 349-4033
Service Area
Statewide
Estate and probate practice in the Chevy Chase Pavilion on upper Wisconsin Avenue NW in Washington, near the DC-Maryland line. Attorneys handle DC and Maryland probate and trust administration, from simple wills through contested probate litigation, plus guardianships, advance directives, and powers of attorney for families on both sides of the border.
Location
5335 Wisconsin Avenue NW, Suite 700Washington, DC 20015
Phone
(202) 362-5900
Service Area
Statewide
More than 850 professionals across multiple states. Recognized as Best Law Firms for Trusts & Estates (Tier 1) in Washington, DC from 2011-2020 and 2022-2023. Trust and Estate Litigation attorneys handle personal trust and estate matters with experienced trial attorneys.
Location
600 Massachusetts Avenue NWWashington, DC 20001
Phone
(202) 344-4000
Service Area
Statewide
Boutique estate-administration and tax firm on 18th Street NW between Dupont and Logan Circles, serving DC, Maryland, and Virginia estates. Partners Clay and Craig Batchelor handle probate court proceedings, will and trust implementation, fiduciary accounting, and property distribution, and prepare individual, fiduciary, and partnership tax returns in-house.
Location
1601 18th Street NW, Suite 2Washington, DC 20009
Phone
(202) 462-7799
Service Area
Statewide
Multi-practice firm on Connecticut Avenue NW in Washington near Farragut North, founded 1982. Its probate group helps DC families file a will after death, petition the Superior Court Probate Division for administration, and distribute estate assets, and also prepares wills and powers of attorney; partner Natalie Walker leads the probate and estate work.
Location
1101 Connecticut Avenue NW, Suite 402Washington, DC 20036
Phone
(202) 659-8510
Established
1982
Service Area
Statewide
Regional firm (founded 1933, Baltimore-headquartered) with a Trusts & Estates group on M Street NW in the West End. Its DC estate and trust litigators represent personal representatives, trustees, and beneficiaries in contested probate, breach-of-fiduciary-duty, and will/trust-validity disputes across DC, Maryland, and Virginia courts, and handle special-needs and asset-protection planning.
Location
1800 M Street NW, Suite 450NWashington, DC 20036
Phone
(202) 659-6800
Established
1933
Service Area
Statewide
Not every estate needs one. Simple estates, small estates under the affidavit threshold, and states with informal probate can often be handled without counsel. Contested wills, out-of-state property, and business interests usually need an attorney. The District of Columbia self-filing assessment scores whether this estate can be handled without one.
District of Columbia uses reasonable fees for probate. Typical District of Columbia rates run $200–$500/hour, with simple estates taking 20–40 hours. Flat-fee arrangements are available from some firms.
Files the petition, publishes required notices, helps with the inventory and accounting, handles creditor claims and tax filings, and guides the final distribution. The attorney represents the personal representative, not the beneficiaries — a distinction that matters if disputes arise.
Referrals from an estate planning attorney you already work with are the best source. Bar association directories are second. Avoid attorneys who won't quote a fee structure up front or who won't explain whether your estate qualifies for simplified procedures.
Yes — by avoiding probate altogether. A revocable living trust removes the estate from court jurisdiction, which removes the need for a probate attorney at settlement time. Create a revocable trust online for about what one hour of probate-attorney time costs.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to discuss your situation and verify their current practice areas and availability. Information last verified: June 2026.
District of Columbia
515 Fifth Street NW, Court Building A, Room 314
Washington, DC 20001
Phone:
202-879-9460Hours:
Monday - Friday, 8:30 AM - 5:00 PM
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