Estate Planning & Probate in Thurston County, Washington
There are two reasons people look up Thurston County probate: to keep a family out of it, or to get a loved one's estate through it. Start with your situation below; both paths use Thurston County's actual court and recording details.
Someone died — settling an estate
Filing probate at the Superior Court, what it costs, transferring property, and local attorneys.
What to do when someone dies in Thurston County →Planning ahead as a property owner
Keep a Thurston County home out of probate with a transfer-on-death deed or a living trust.
Estate planning in Thurston County →The Probate Process in Thurston 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 Thurston County, probate runs through the Superior Court at 2000 Lakeridge Drive Southwest, Building 2, Olympia. Thurston County runs probate e-filing through clerkefile.co.thurston.wa.us, the only Washington county on that system.
Full Thurston County probate guide: cost, how to file & attorneys →Probate Court Record
Thurston County Superior Court
Thurston County
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
E-filing
Filing in person
Self-represented filing
How to file probate in Thurston County →
Verified October 15, 2026 · Source
Recording Office Record
County Auditor
Thurston County
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
Recording fee
Verified October 17, 2026 · Source
Vital Records Office Record
Local Health Department
Thurston County · Thurston County Public Health & Social Services, Vital Records
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
Certified copies
Certified copy fee
Full death certificate details →
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Coroner or Medical Examiner Record
Coroner
Thurston County · Thurston County Coroner's Office
Phone
Hours
Office
Website
Full coroner or medical examiner details →
Verified November 2, 2026 · Source
Local Procedures at the Superior Court
Probate and guardianship calendar: Fridays at 2:00 and 3:00 PM. Ex parte calendar: Monday through Friday at 2:30 PM. Both at the Family and Juvenile Court in Tumwater.
A new probate is filed with a notarized oath and a certified copy of the death certificate, along with a case cover sheet, the petition and the original will if there is one. Case documents and the proposed order opening a probate may be presented to the court on the daily walk-in ex parte calendar at the Family and Juvenile Court, Monday through Friday at 2:30 PM. Letters testamentary or of administration are issued by the Clerk under the court's order.
Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Washington
Free Washington forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Washington.
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.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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.
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.
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.
Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Washington
Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Washington: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for Washington.
How Do I Settle an Estate?
Settling an estate in Washington: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysRCW 11.44.015; RCW 11.44.025Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 monthsRCW 11.40.020, 11.40.040, 11.40.051, 11.40.100, 11.76.110Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months.
How Do I Settle a Trust?
Settling a trust in Washington happens outside court: the trustee acts under the state's trust statuteRCW 11.98.005 et seq.; RCW 11.103 (revocable trusts)Verified Oct 17, 2026View source, notifies the beneficiaries within 60 daysRCW 11.98.072; RCW 11.96A.070Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, then pays the debts and distributes under the trust's terms.
Do I Need Probate?
In Washington, estates valued at $100,000RCW 11.62.010Verified Sep 9, 2026View source or less skip probate with the Small Estate AffidavitRCW 11.62.010Verified Sep 9, 2026View source, 40 daysRCW 11.62.010Verified Sep 9, 2026View source after death.
Who Inherits Without a Will?
Washington is a community property state, so the surviving spouse already owns half of what the couple acquired during the marriage. Without a will in Washington, descendants divide what passes to them per capita with representationRCW §§ 11.04.015(2)(a), 11.02.005Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and an heir must survive the decedent by 120 hoursRCW § 11.05A.020Verified Oct 21, 2026View source to inherit.
How Much Does Probate Cost?
Probate on a $500,000 estate in Washington costs an estimated $27,599RCW 11.48.210 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 9, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 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 under a reasonable-compensation standard.
Washington Estate Planning Articles
Articles about estate planning, probate, and trusts relevant to families in Thurston County.
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