Tools for Planning Your Estate in District of Columbia

In District of Columbia, a will is signed before 2 witnesses, and the witnesses sign an affidavit at probate instead of a self-proving affidavit.

All Planning ahead Settling an estate

21 tools for District of Columbia

How Much Does Probate Cost?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in District of Columbia costs an estimated $26,493. Attorney fees run 2% to 3.1% of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.

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Who Inherits Without a Will?

Without a will in District of Columbia, a surviving spouse takes the first $0 plus two-thirds of the rest when every child of either spouse is a child of both, and descendants divide what passes to them per stirpes.

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How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?

District of Columbia levies an estate tax above $4,988,400 (top rate 16%) and no inheritance tax; the federal estate tax applies above $15,000,000.

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Do I Need Probate?

In District of Columbia, estates with personal property of $40,000 or less skip probate with the Transfer by Affidavit, 60 days after death.

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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable trust in District of Columbia runs $3,820 to $5,730 and a simple will $1,041 to $2,082, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in District of Columbia runs $3,820 to $5,730 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 District of Columbia runs $1,041 to $2,082, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $26,493.

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How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

In District of Columbia, four years at a public university cost about $24,608 and the cost of living is 10% above the U.S. average; the state levies an estate tax above $4,988,400.

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How Does Step-Up in Basis Work?

Inherited assets in District of Columbia take a basis reset to fair market value on the date of death, and the gain on a later sale faces ordinary income tax at the state's regular rates.

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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

District of Columbia does not revoke an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorce; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.

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What Are the Estate Laws in My State?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in District of Columbia costs an estimated $26,493 and takes 6 months to 12 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 2% to 3.1% of the estate. Estates under $40,000 can use a small-estate procedure instead.

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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 District of Columbia, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writing, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18.

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What Are the Burial and Cremation Laws in My State?

District of Columbia allows you to name your own agent in a signed, written document, and that designation takes priority over the statutory order of next of kin who otherwise control disposition of the remains.

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How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

Find witness, notary, and remote signing requirements for all 50 states.

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Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Check if estate planning documents signed in one state are valid in another.

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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?

Probate in District of Columbia takes 6 months to 12 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 2% to 3.1% of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.

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Do I Need a TOD Deed?

District of Columbia authorizes transfer on death deeds: a recorded, revocable deed that passes real property at death outside probate.

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Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?

District of Columbia allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle title, filed through the District of Columbia Department of Motor Vehicles (DC DMV) using Form DCDMV-ADD-BEN-001.

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How Do I Open a Trust Account at My Bank?

Compare trust-account requirements bank by bank: how a revocable trust account is opened or retitled, and what proves the trust.

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A will in District of Columbia costs what the provider charges. An online service runs $0 to $299 up front. An attorney in District of Columbia charges around $347 an hour for wills and estates work, which puts a simple will at $1,041 to $2,082. The document is only part of the cost: probate adds about $26,493 on a $500,000 estate in fees the heirs pay later.

A revocable living trust in District of Columbia costs what the provider charges. An online service runs $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription. An attorney in District of Columbia charges around $382 an hour for trust work, which puts an attorney-prepared trust at $3,820 to $5,730 for an individual plan.

Yes. District of Columbia allows transfer on death deeds. The deed names a beneficiary for real property, is recorded during the owner's life, and passes the property at death without probate.

In District of Columbia, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writing. It needs your signature, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18. It can be recorded alongside the rest of an estate plan when you create a revocable living trust.

In District of Columbia, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 2% to 3.1% of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee. The trust also distributes assets faster than the 6 months to 12 months probate timeline a simple estate takes.

Tools for Planning Your Estate in District of Columbia

The tools of an estate plan are the documents that decide who receives property, who acts when the owner cannot, and who cares for minor children: a will, a revocable living trust, a financial power of attorney, a healthcare directive, beneficiary designations, and in some states a transfer on death deed. Each is governed by the law of the state where it is signed, and what it can do, how it is signed, and what it costs differ from state to state.

An attorney-prepared will in District of Columbia runs $1,041 to $2,082, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $26,493 in court costs, attorney fees and executor compensation, the figure a trust is measured against. A healthcare power of attorney in District of Columbia is signed before 2 witnesses; notarization is not required. District of Columbia levies an estate tax above $4,988,400 and no inheritance tax.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated October 15, 2026

Legal Sources

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Data sourced from District of Columbia statutes and official state code. How we research.