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.

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 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.

No.

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.

Apply for an Employer Identification Number (EIN), a special tax identification number for an estate, by contacting the Internal Revenue Service at (800) 829-4933.

The Probate Division does not maintain a list of real estate appraisers. Consult the yellow pages of the phone book or the Internet for listings of real estate appraisers licensed in the District of Columbia.

The decision to distribute assets in a supervised estate is made by the personal representative and depends upon the assets of the estate, outstanding claims, debts, or liabilities, and the expiration of the six-month creditor claim period. Although all or some of the assets may be distributed sooner, in a supervised estate any assets remaining are distributed after the Court has approved the final account. In an unsupervised estate, any assets remaining are generally distributed 60 days after the final account is mailed to all remaining interested persons.

Unsupervised estates close three years from the date of appointment of the personal representative unless ordered otherwise by the Court or unless the personal representative chooses to file a Certificate of Completion to close the estate sooner. The court closes the estate administratively, and no notice is sent. Supervised estates close when the final account is approved by the Court.

The personal representative is responsible for responding to those who file claims by sending a Notice of Action on Claim, which says (1) whether the claim has been allowed for the requested amount, (2) whether the claim has been disallowed or allowed for an amount less than the amount requested and what the procedures and time limits for contesting the disallowance or reduction are, or (3) whether the personal representative will petition the Court to decide whether the claim should be allowed. If a personal representative is allowing a claim in whole, in part, or in a stated amount, the personal representative should send a check for that amount to the claimant from the estate bank account.