Estate Planning for Pierce County, Washington Property Owners

For most Pierce County homeowners, the house is what drags an estate into probate. A transfer-on-death deed or a living trust keeps it out—here is how to set up either one and record it locally.

Record a TOD deedWhere to recordLocal attorneys

For a Pierce County property owner, the biggest probate risk is the home itself. Real estate is what forces most families into the Superior Court. The two tools that keep a Pierce County home out of probate are a transfer-on-death deed recorded with the County Auditor, and a revocable living trust that holds title to the property.

Without a recorded beneficiary designation or a trust, Pierce County property passes through the Superior Court — even simple Washington probates run 4+ months and start with $290 in filing fees.

Record a Transfer-on-Death Deed in Pierce County

A transfer on death deed names a beneficiary who receives Pierce County property automatically at the owner's death, without probate. It is recorded with the County Auditor during the owner's lifetime and can be revoked at any time.

Before recording, a Washington transfer on death deed is signed with notary acknowledgmentRCW 64.80.010 to 64.80.904Verified Oct 19, 2026View source. The deed takes effect only if it is recorded before the owner's deathRCW 64.80.010 to 64.80.904Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.

Create a Washington TOD deed →Pierce County signing requirements →

Where to Record Property Documents

Deeds and other real property documents for Pierce County are recorded with the County Auditor at 2401 South 35th Street, Room 200, Tacoma, WA 98409. Phone: 1-253-798-7440. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM.

The County Auditor charges $304 for the first page plus $1 for each additional page. Recording a 2-page transfer on death deed in Pierce County comes to $305. A transfer on death deed is exempt from transfer tax.

Pierce County accepts electronic recording through CSC, ePN and Simplifile.

Recording Office Record

County Auditor

Pierce County

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:30 AM-4:30 PM

Office

2401 South 35th Street, Room 200, Tacoma, WA 98409

Open in Google Maps

Fees

Recording fees

Base fee (first page)$303.5
Each additional page$1
Real Estate Excise Tax Affidavit$5 state technology fee on every transfer, plus $5 more when no tax is due because an exemption is claimed; $10 minimum in fee(s) and/or tax (RCW 82.45.180). Paid to the county treasurer, not the auditor. Not required for a TOD deed
Transfer tax on a TOD deedTOD deeds are exempt from transfer tax

RCW 36.18.010; RCW 36.22.170; RCW 36.22.175; RCW 36.22.240; RCW 36.22.250; RCW 36.22.185

Verified October 17, 2026 · Source

Estate Planning Attorneys Serving Pierce County

FirmTacoma, WA

Davies Pearson, P.C.

Since 1949 · Serves 1 county

Tacoma firm on Pacific Avenue founded in 1949, with an estate group that handles probate and the administration of estates, estate litigation, and gift and estate tax planning. Planning work covers wills and trusts, powers of attorney, and health care directives. The estate group works alongside the firm's business, real estate, and employment practices.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationTax Planningand 2 more

Office
1498 Pacific Ave, Suite 520Tacoma, WA 98402

FirmTacoma, WA

Dickson Frohlich Phillips Burgess

Serves 3 counties

Serves Pierce, King, and Thurston counties from offices in Tacoma, Seattle, and Olympia. Represents personal representatives in formal and summary probate and in estate and trust administration, and represents beneficiaries in will contests, undue influence claims, and trust litigation, including challenges to the actions of an executor or trustee. Also handles guardianships.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 2 more

Office
909 A Street, Suite 900Tacoma, WA 98402

FirmSeattle, WA

Gravis Law, PLLC

Serves 6 counties

Multi-state firm with Washington offices in Seattle, University Place, Olympia, Spokane, Richland, Kennewick, and Dayton. Guides personal representatives through probate and estate administration, from gathering assets and paying debts to transferring ownership, and handles elder law matters including Medicaid planning and guardianship. Consultations are available by phone or video.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawConservatorshipand 4 more

Office
10202 5th Ave NE, 2nd FloorSeattle, WA 98125
Virtual consultations

FirmKent, WA

Hanis Irvine Prothero, PLLC

Serves 2 counties

Serves South King County from Kent, taking matters from Auburn, Covington, Enumclaw, Federal Way, Renton, and Tukwila as well as Seattle, Bellevue, and Tacoma. The wills and probate department represents family members in probate actions and guides administrators of existing estate plans, and drafts wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, powers of attorney, and health care directives.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateTax Planningand 4 more

Office
6703 S 234th St, Suite 300Kent, WA 98032
Free consultation

FirmTacoma, WA

Helland Law Group, PLLC

Since 1979 · Serves 1 county

Tacoma general practice firm on Market Street, in practice since 1979, serving Tacoma and Pierce County. Helps families through probate and drafts wills and trusts. Estate work sits alongside the firm's family law, personal injury, and civil litigation practices.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateFamily LawPersonal InjuryReal Estate

Office
960 Market StTacoma, WA 98402

Solo PracticeTacoma, WA

James A. Jones, Attorney at Law

Serves 2 counties

Tacoma solo practice of James A. Jones. After a death it opens the probate estate with the court, notifies beneficiaries and creditors, handles creditor claims, transfers estate assets, and files estate and income tax returns; it also handles elder law and Medicaid planning. Free initial consultations in the office, by telephone, or by video.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawTax Planningand 3 more

Office
207 Broadway, Suite 300Tacoma, WA 98402
Free consultationVirtual consultations
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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.

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Legal Sources

Data sourced from Washington statutes and official state code. How we research.

Forms for Planning Your Estate in Washington

Free forms for planning your estate in Washington: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Washington.

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Last Will and Testament

In Washington, a will is signed before 2RCW 11.12.020Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyRCW 11.12.020Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.

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Codicil to a Will

In Washington, a codicil is signed before 2RCW 11.12.020Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, like a will, and the self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyRCW 11.20.020(2)Verified Oct 25, 2026View source.

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Healthcare Power of Attorney

Washington allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2RCW 11.125.050; RCW 11.125.400; RCW 70.122.030; RCW 7.70.065Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.

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HIPAA Release

In Washington, a HIPAA release names who may receive your records and, as the state requires, names HIV/AIDS-related information and mental health recordsRCW 70.02.220(1), (2)(a) (2013 c 200 § 6; last amended 2021 c 270 § 5); cross-references chapter 70.24 RCW; RCW 70.02.230(1) (2013 c 200 § 7; version in effect until June 30, 2027, last amended 2024 c 209 § 32)Verified Jun 10, 2026View source expressly before a provider releases them.

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Financial Power of Attorney

Washington requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacityRCW § 11.125.050Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed before 2RCW § 11.125.050Verified Oct 21, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.

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Transfer on Death Deed

In Washington, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notaryRCW 64.80.010 to 64.80.904Verified Oct 19, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathRCW 64.80.010 to 64.80.904Verified Oct 19, 2026View source. Washington does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.

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Living Will

In Washington, the living will is the Health Care DirectiveRCW ch. 70.122 (Natural Death Act)Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a document of its own, apart from the healthcare power of attorney.

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Pour-Over Will

In Washington, a pour-over will is signed before 2RCW 11.12.020Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.

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Tools for Planning Your Estate in Washington

Free tools for planning your estate in Washington: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Washington.

How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

In Washington, a will is signed before 2RCW 11.12.020Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredRCW 11.12.020Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.

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Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Washington recognizes a will signed under the law of the place where it was signedRCW 11.12.020Verified Oct 19, 2026View source; a will signed in Washington itself needs 2RCW 11.12.020Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredRCW 11.12.020Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.

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Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?

In Washington, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 2.2%Modeled estimate under RCW 11.48.210 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source to 3.5%Modeled estimate under RCW 11.48.210 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.

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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Washington runs $3,400Estimate: 10 hours at $340, Clio's Washington Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,100Estimate: 15 hours at $340, Clio's Washington Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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How Much Does a Will Cost?

An attorney-prepared will in Washington runs $1,164Estimate: 3 hours at $388, Clio's Washington Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,328Estimate: 6 hours at $388, Clio's Washington Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $27,599RCW 11.48.210 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 9, 2026View source.

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How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?

Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.

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How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Children?

In Washington, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writingRCW 11.130.215(2)(a); RCW 11.12.020 (will formalities)Verified Sep 16, 2026View source, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18RCW 26.28.010Verified Sep 16, 2026View source.

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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?

Probate in Washington takes 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 2.2%Modeled estimate under RCW 11.48.210 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source to 3.5%Modeled estimate under RCW 11.48.210 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 9, 2026View source of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.

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