Probate cost in District of Columbia
In District of Columbia, estates up to $80,000 can often skip full probate. For a $300,000 estate, the court fee is $575.
District of Columbia's small estate limit is $80,000. Above it, the estate usually goes through probate.
- Court fee to open probate source$575
- Attorney feeNo legal schedule: set by agreement or the courtset by agreement
- Executor fee sourceNo legal schedule: set by agreement or the courtset by agreement
Probate total$575+
The total leaves out the costs shown without a number.
- Quicken WillMaker & Trust Plus sourceOne-time price for one person$149
- Yearly feeoptional yearly renewal$40
- Moving a home into the trustSet by your county recordercounty recording fee
Trust total$149+
Assets left outside the trust can still need probate.
Probate cost by estate size
| Estate value | Court fee | Attorney (law) | Executor (law) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | $575 | not set by law | not set by law | $575+ |
| $250,000 | $575 | not set by law | not set by law | $575+ |
| $500,000 | $825 | not set by law | not set by law | $825+ |
| $1,000,000 | $1,800 | not set by law | not set by law | $1,800+ |
"Not set by law" means the fee is agreed with the lawyer or set by the court, so it is not in the total. Use your own numbers.
The rules in District of Columbia
- Small estate limit: $80,000 (Small estate administration, D.C. Code 20-351 et seq. (petition to the Probate Division)). Raised to $80,000 by D.C. Law 25-302, effective March 21, 2025 (was $40,000). Limit is the value of the decedent's property subject to administration in D.C. This is a court petition, not an out-of-court affidavit. Source
- Court fee: $575 for a $300,000 estate. D.C. Courts FAQ citing Probate Rules 125 and 425: court costs by value of assets other than real estate, plus $25 if the decedent owned D.C. real estate. $575 for $100,000 to $499,999.99. Above $5,000,000: $2,300 + 0.02% of the excess, maximum $11,300 over $50,000,000. Read from a Wayback copy (April 25, 2025); Rule 425 PDF returned 403. Source
- Attorney fee: No legal schedule: set by agreement or the court. No statutory schedule known. Statute not read in this pass.
- Executor fee: No legal schedule: set by agreement or the court. D.C. Code 20-751: personal representative is entitled to reasonable compensation; may renounce a will provision on compensation. Source
Some District of Columbia rules could not be checked on a current official page. Each rule links to the source we used. Confirm with the court or a lawyer before you rely on it.
General information from official state sources, not legal advice.