Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Washington

After a death in Washington, the estate either qualifies for the simplified procedure for estates under $100,000 or goes through probate, where creditors have 4 months to file claims after notice.

All Planning ahead Settling an estate

36 tools for Washington

How Much Does Probate Cost?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Washington costs an estimated $27,599. Attorney fees run 2.2% to 3.5% of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.

Use Calculator

How Much Can an Executor Charge?

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

Use Calculator

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 representation, and an heir must survive the decedent by 120 hours to inherit.

Use Calculator

What's Fair Trustee Compensation?

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

Use Calculator

How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?

Washington levies an estate tax above $3,000,000 (top rate 20%) and no inheritance tax; the federal estate tax applies above $15,000,000.

Use Calculator

How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?

In Washington, certified death certificates come from the Washington State Department of Health - Center for Health Statistics; the first copy costs $25.

Use Calculator

Do I Need Probate?

In Washington, estates valued at $100,000 or less skip probate with the Small Estate Affidavit, 40 days after death.

Check Now

What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Washington runs $3,400 to $5,100 and a simple will $1,164 to $2,328, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

Compare Costs

How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Washington runs $3,400 to $5,100 for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

Compare Costs

How Much Does a Will Cost?

An attorney-prepared will in Washington runs $1,164 to $2,328, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $27,599.

Compare Costs

How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

In Washington, four years at a public university cost about $91,896 and the cost of living is 7% above the U.S. average; the state levies an estate tax above $3,000,000.

Use Calculator

What Taxes Apply to My Inheritance?

In Washington, beneficiaries owe no inheritance tax and the estate pays any estate tax above $3,000,000; probate assets arrive when the estate closes, 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate.

Learn More

How Does Step-Up in Basis Work?

Inherited assets in Washington take a basis reset to fair market value on the date of death, and the gain on a later sale faces a 7% excise tax above $278,000, rising to 9.9% above $1,000,000; individuals only — estates and trusts are not subject to it.

Use Calculator

Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

Washington automatically revokes 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.

Check Now

What Are the Estate Laws in My State?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Washington costs an estimated $27,599 and takes 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 2.2% to 3.5% of the estate. Estates under $100,000 can use a small-estate procedure instead.

Check Your State

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.

Compare Services

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 writing, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18.

Check Your State

What Are the Burial and Cremation Laws in My State?

Washington 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.

Check Your State

How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

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

Check Requirements

Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

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

Check Portability

1 2

Washington allows estates valued at $100,000 or less to use the Small Estate Affidavit, which avoids full probate administration. The Small Estate 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 40 days after death.

Probate costs in Washington typically include attorney fees of typically 2.2% to 3.5% of the estate, executor fees, court filing fees, and publication costs. On a $500,000 estate, total costs run about $27,599, roughly 6% of estate value, varying with complexity. Estimate executor compensation separately with the Washington executor fee calculator.

Washington intestacy law decides. As a community property state, Washington distinguishes community property (acquired during the marriage) from separate property (owned before it, or received as a gift or inheritance), and the surviving spouse's share differs for each. The estate passes to the closest surviving relatives, in most cases the spouse and children first, then in order: Parents; Issue of parents; Grandparents; Issue of grandparents; Escheat to the state.

Yes. Washington imposes a state estate tax on an estate above $3,000,000, separate from and in addition to the federal estate tax. Washington has no inheritance tax on the beneficiary.

A will in Washington costs what the provider charges. An online service runs $0 to $299 up front. An attorney in Washington charges around $388 an hour for wills and estates, which puts a simple will at $1,164 to $2,328. The document is only part of the cost: probate adds about $27,599 on a $500,000 estate in fees the heirs pay later.

Free Estate Planning Tools in Washington

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 Washington, probate on a $500,000 estate costs about $27,599, and a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months. Washington pays executors reasonable compensation, typically 2.2% to 3.8% of the estate. Washington levies an estate tax above $3,000,000 and no inheritance tax.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated October 15, 2026

Legal Sources

Show 5 more sources

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