Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in District of Columbia

After a death in District of Columbia, the estate either qualifies for the simplified procedure for estates under $40,000 or goes through probate, where creditors have 6 months to file claims after notice.

All Planning ahead Settling an estate

36 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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How Much Can an Executor Charge?

District of Columbia pays executors reasonable compensation, typically 2.2% to 3.8% of the estate.

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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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What's Fair Trustee Compensation?

In District of Columbia, trustee compensation follows "reasonable compensation" (UTC § 708 or equivalent) unless the trust instrument sets a different amount.

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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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How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?

In District of Columbia, certified death certificates come from the DC Health - Vital Records Division; the first copy costs $18.

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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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What Taxes Apply to My Inheritance?

In District of Columbia, beneficiaries owe no inheritance tax and the estate pays any estate tax above $4,988,400; probate assets arrive when the estate closes, 6 months to 12 months for a simple estate.

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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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District of Columbia allows estates with personal property of $40,000 or less to use the Transfer by Affidavit, which avoids full probate administration. The Transfer by Affidavit is presented directly to the bank, employer, or other holder of the property — it is not filed with a court. The waiting period is 60 days after death. Estates up to $80,000 may qualify for Small Estate Administration.

Probate costs in District of Columbia typically include attorney fees of typically 2% to 3.1% of the estate, executor fees, court filing fees, and publication costs. On a $500,000 estate, total costs run about $26,493, roughly 5% of estate value, varying with complexity. Estimate executor compensation separately with the District of Columbia executor fee calculator.

District of Columbia intestacy law decides. District of Columbia follows separate property rules: the surviving spouse's share depends on whether children survive and whose children they are. The estate passes to the closest surviving relatives, in most cases the spouse and children first, then in order: Parents; Siblings and their descendants; All collateral relations in equal degree; Grandparents; The District of Columbia.

Yes. District of Columbia imposes a state estate tax on an estate above $4,988,400, separate from and in addition to the federal estate tax. District of Columbia has no inheritance tax on the beneficiary.

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.

Free Estate Planning Tools in District of Columbia

The tools are grouped by who you are. Planning ahead covers the questions that come before any document is drafted: what a will, a trust, or a full plan costs in your state, whether a trust or a transfer on death deed changes anything for you, and how documents are signed. Someone I love died covers the first weeks: death certificates, burial and cremation rules, and whether the estate needs probate at all. The executor and trustee groups follow an administration from appointment to distribution, and inheriting covers what a death triggers in estate, inheritance, and income tax.

In District of Columbia, probate on a $500,000 estate costs about $26,493, and a simple estate closes in 6 months to 12 months. District of Columbia pays executors reasonable compensation, typically 2.2% to 3.8% of the estate. 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.