District of Columbia · probate and estate law
Probate in District of Columbia: do you need a lawyer, and what it costs
District of Columbia law decides whether an estate needs probate and what a lawyer may charge. Every fact links to its statute, with the date we read it. Not legal advice.
We do not endorse or recommend any attorney
Firms are listed by name with what they publish and what the bar roster says about them; you contact them yourself. A firm can never pay to move up a list.
Do I need a lawyer?
- Small-estate limit
- Estates under $80,000 can use a simpler process instead of full probate. In District of Columbia this usually starts with a signed affidavit.
- Formal probate
- Required above $80,000. Independent administration: no. Uniform Probate Code: no.
- Typical duration
- About 9 months.
- Source
- D.C. Code §20-351 (small estate proceeding ≤ $80,000); §§20-360 to 20-362 (transfer by affidavit ≤ $40,000, no real property, after 60 days; D.C. Law 25-302) statute → · checked Oct 5, 2026
Settling an estate in District of Columbia
What an executor deals with after the funeral: the will, the court, creditors, tax and closing the estate. Each fact links to the statute it comes from and shows the date we last read it.
- Filing the original will
In the District of Columbia, if you have the original will, you must deliver it to the Register of Wills, the Probate Division, or the executor named in it within 90 days after you learn of the death. Willfully failing to do so can bring a fine of up to $500.
- Which court handles probate
In the District of Columbia, estates are handled by the Probate Division of the D.C. Superior Court, through the Register of Wills.
- Creditors' deadline to make claims
In the District of Columbia, within 20 days of appointment the executor or administrator (the law calls them the personal representative) publishes a notice once a week for 2 weeks and mails it to known creditors. Creditors must present claims within 6 months after the first publication, or the claim is barred.
- Estate inventory
In the District of Columbia, the executor or administrator must prepare an inventory of the property, valued as of the date of death, within 3 months after appointment. In a supervised estate it is filed with the court; in an unsupervised estate it is sent to the heirs and beneficiaries.
- The order estate debts are paid
In the District of Columbia, if the estate cannot pay every claim, the executor or administrator pays court and publication costs first, then funeral expenses up to $5,000, then limited fees, then family allowances, then other listed debts, and all other claims last.
- State estate and inheritance tax
The District of Columbia has an estate tax. For deaths in 2026, it applies to estates over $4,988,400, with rates up to 16%. D.C. has no inheritance tax for deaths since April 1, 1987.
- Closing an estate
In the District of Columbia, most estates are unsupervised and close when the executor or administrator files a Certificate of Completion after the 6-month claim period, once heirs have had 60 days to object to the account. In a supervised estate, the court's approval of the final account closes it.
What a probate lawyer may charge in District of Columbia
Some states set the fee by statute, as a percentage of the estate. Others say "reasonable compensation", and you agree it with the firm.
No statutory fee schedule is recorded for District of Columbia yet. Either the state leaves fees to "reasonable compensation", or we have not read the statute.
Firms in District of Columbia
A metro is listed once three firms there have an attorney active on the District of Columbia bar.
No District of Columbia metro has three listed firms yet. Firms come from the state bar's own roster and certification lists, not a directory, so this fills in as attorneys are checked. Where we have firms →
The estate letter · District of Columbia
Settling an estate in District of Columbia, one month at a time
Twelve months of steps with District of Columbia's own numbers and deadlines. Read the checklist now, or sign up there for one email a month.
Get the estate letter- Month 1The first things to gather
- Month 2Work out what the estate is
- Month 3Get the authority to act
- 9 more months
Compare more
Estate checklist for District of Columbia
What the executor does, month by month, with District of Columbia's numbers and deadlines.
Funeral and cremation law in District of Columbia
1 checked facts: who decides, waiting periods, permits.
Before probate
Look a lawyer up yourself
Every attorney we name will be checked against the District of Columbia bar roster before a firm is listed.