Probate Forms for Large Estates for Decedents Who Died Before January 1, 1981

Probate Forms for Large Estates of Those Who Died Between January 1, 1981 and June 30, 1995

There are no form pleadings for persons who died before January 1, 1981. Because of the passage of time and because there were more required filings, these estates are very complicated. The Office of the Register of Wills cannot provide legal advice, so if an estate needs to be opened or re-opened for someone who died before January 1, 1981, it is highly recommended that you consult an attorney. Note that before 1981, real estate generally passed by operation of law, so estates were not opened when the only asset was real estate except when the decedent left a will to transfer assets following death. The law that applies to these estates can be found in Titles 18, 19, and 20 of the DC Code edition (with supplements, if any) for the year in which the decedent died. Past editions of these volumes of the DC Code are available at the Martin Luther King, Jr., Memorial Library, located at 901 G Street, NW, Washington. DC Superior Court, Probate Division Rules 10 to 26 apply to these estates. To assist filers, sample pleadings in a variety of estates with different dates of death and different issues have been imaged and can be reviewed. Images of the pleadings can be viewed on the public computers in the Probate Division, located in Room 314, 515 5th Street, NW, Washington, DC

Listing of Initial Petitions for Probate