Five. Additional Letters are available for $1 each.

The Court has the ultimate responsibility for the welfare of each ward. A Report of Guardian must be filed every six months from the date of appointment as guardian so that the Court is kept informed of the ward’s medical status, residence, and general condition for the protection of the ward. The filing of such reports is required by the applicable District of Columbia law and is a condition of appointment as a guardian. Guardians who do not timely file the Report of Guardian are subject to removal by the Court. The reports are reviewed by the Probate Division staff and sometimes responded to by letter from the Court.

District of Columbia law requires a bond for the protection of the assets of the ward. In general, a conservator must be able to qualify for a bond that covers all the assets of the ward plus one year’s income.

No. Under the law in the District of Columbia, the will must be in writing, signed by the testator, and attested and signed by at least 2 credible witnesses in the presence of the testator.

No.

If you are not authorized to enter the safe deposit box of the decedent, you may petition for the appointment of a special administrator to open the safe deposit box by filing a Petition for Appointment of Special Administrator to Enter Safe Deposit Box and Order.

File a petition for standard probate, and follow the procedure set forth in Superior Court, Probate Division Rule 403(a)(4). See Filing Standard Probate Proceedings in the District of Columbia.

If the Probate Division copies a will for you, it will cost 50¢ per page. If you wish to visit the Probate Division to copy the will yourself, you may do so at the public copier at a cost of 25¢ per page.

The Probate Division keeps wills forever as a permanent part of the public legal record. The will is kept in the Probate Division for a period of 10 years from the date of filing. After 10 years, it is archived permanently.

Once a will has been accepted for filing, it can be released only by order of the Court. To obtain such an order, file a verified petition for release of the will and a proposed order authorizing transfer of the will. The following information must be included in the petition: (1) the facts that indicate that the will was filed in the District of Columbia in error, (2) the facts that explain why another state has jurisdiction, (3) the mailing address and telephone number of the Clerk of the Court in the jurisdiction to which the will is to be transferred who is authorized to accept the will on behalf of that Court. The Court will review the petition and issue an order either granting the petition or denying it. A copy of the order will be mailed to you. If the petition is granted, the Office of the Register of Wills will send the will to the other jurisdiction as a court-to-court transfer.