Annapolis, Maryland · Estate Planning · Elder Law · Business Succession · ProbateCall: (410) 570-1671
Johnson Law — Estate, Business & Elder Law PlanningSchedule call
Probate & Estate Administration · Maryland

Settle your loved one's estate in Maryland. Without losing a year of your life to it.

Personal-representative counsel for families throughout Maryland, most often in Anne Arundel, Prince George's, and Queen Anne's Counties. We handle the Register of Wills filings, creditor process, inheritance tax reporting, and final accounting — so you can focus on your family.

Schedule Your Introductory CallCall (410) 570-1671
Anne Arundel · Prince George's · Queen Anne's · Statewide·Personal-Representative Counsel Throughout Maryland
Who calls us

If you're the personal representative, you don't have to figure this out alone.

Named in the will

Your parent named you executor years ago, and now the funeral is over and a stack of paperwork is on your kitchen table. We take it from there.

No will, family agreement

When there's no will, Maryland's intestacy statute picks heirs and the Orphans' Court appoints a personal representative. We file the petition and run the administration.

Real estate to transfer

A Maryland home in the decedent's name alone almost always requires probate. We coordinate the deed, title work, and sale or transfer.

Out-of-state heirs

Adult children in California, Texas, or abroad. Everything we do can be handled remotely — Zoom hearings, electronic signatures, courier filings.

Estate with a business

A closely-held company, rental portfolio, or professional practice that needs to keep operating while the estate settles. We coordinate with the buy-sell, operating agreement, and CPA.

What working with us looks like

A steady hand from the first call to the final account.

Every estate is different. What stays the same is how we guide you through it — with clear communication, experienced judgment, and a team that answers the phone.

We start with a conversation

Before any paperwork, we sit down with you — in person, by phone, or on video — to understand the family, the assets, and the situation. We tell you honestly what kind of administration this is likely to be and what the road ahead looks like.

We open the estate the right way

We prepare and file the petition with the Register of Wills in the correct Maryland county, get you appointed as personal representative, and make sure the initial notices and filings are done on time — so the estate never gets tangled up in avoidable delays.

We run the middle of the process

Notice to creditors, inventory, information report, claim evaluation, coordination with CPAs on the final 1040 and estate 1041, Maryland inheritance tax reporting through the Register of Wills when it applies — we handle it, and we keep you informed at every step.

We help you close cleanly

Distributions to beneficiaries, receipts and releases, the final account with the Register of Wills, and formally closing the estate. When the estate is closed, you have paper you can rely on and a family that isn't waiting on you.

You always know where things stand

You'll never wonder what's happening in your estate. We return calls, we explain what each filing means, and we tell you what to expect next — so a hard season of life doesn't get harder because of the process.

The Maryland probate timeline

Handled start to finish — with someone who actually knows your case.

01
Open the estate

Petition for probate filed at Register of Wills. Letters issued in 2-4 weeks.

02
Notice & inventory

Notice to creditors published. Inventory filed within 90 days.

03
Creditor period

6-month claim period runs. We evaluate and pay or contest claims.

04
Tax filings

We coordinate with your CPA on the final 1040, the estate's 1041, and the Maryland estate tax return (MET-1) when it applies. Maryland inheritance tax is reported and collected by the Register of Wills through the probate accounting and reporting process, which we handle as part of the administration.

05
Account

First and final accountings prepared and filed with the Register.

06
Distribute & close

Distributions made, receipts filed, estate formally closed.

How Maryland probate works

The Maryland probate rules that matter.

Maryland probate runs through the Register of Wills in each of the 24 counties and Baltimore City. The Register handles administration; the Orphans' Court resolves accountings and disputes. We handle probate and estate administration throughout Maryland, most often in Anne Arundel County in Annapolis, Prince George's County in Upper Marlboro, and Queen Anne's County in Centreville.

Two parallel tracks: regular administration (full accounting, public, default) and modified administration (faster, simpler, requires unanimous consent of qualifying heirs and a clean estate). When modified administration fits, it saves months.

The personal representative is paid a statutory commission, though family-member PRs often waive it. Attorney's fees are separate and depend on what the estate actually requires — we discuss the scope of the work openly with you at the outset so you understand what you're engaging us for.

Maryland's inheritance tax is the one most clients are surprised by: it applies to assets passing to nieces, nephews, friends, and other non-lineal heirs. Lineal heirs (spouse, children, parents, grandchildren) are exempt.

Maryland probate at a glance
  • 9–12 months
    Typical regular administration timeline
  • 90 days
    Deadline to file inventory after appointment
  • 6 months
    Creditor claim window from notice publication
  • 6 months
    Deadline for beneficiaries to challenge a will
  • Every stage
    Guided by experienced Maryland probate counsel
Maryland probate FAQs

Questions personal representatives actually ask us.

A regular estate in Maryland typically runs nine to twelve months from opening to final account when administration is straightforward. Modified administration (available when heirs are family and they consent) can close sooner. Small estates can wrap more quickly still.

At the Register of Wills in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death — for Annapolis residents, the Anne Arundel County Register of Wills; for Prince George's County residents, the Register of Wills in Upper Marlboro; for Queen Anne's County residents, the Register of Wills in Centreville. We handle probate matters and in-person hearings throughout Maryland.

Maryland sets a dollar threshold below which a simplified small-estate procedure applies — faster, cheaper, less paperwork. The current threshold and the rules that go with it are something we'll walk you through in your conversation, since they're updated by the legislature from time to time.

There are statutory Register of Wills probate fees that scale with the value of the estate, an optional personal representative commission (often waived when the PR is family), and attorney's fees. Attorney's fees depend on the size and complexity of the estate — whether there's real estate, a business interest, out-of-state heirs, or family disagreement. We discuss all of this openly with you before any work begins so nothing about the process is a surprise.

Maryland doesn't require it, but personal representatives have real fiduciary duties — they sign tax returns under penalty of perjury, they're personally liable for distributions made before debts are paid, and they answer to beneficiaries. For estates with real estate, retirement accounts, business interests, or family disagreement, a lawyer pays for itself.

Marshall and inventory assets within 90 days; publish creditor notice and pay valid claims; file the decedent's final 1040 and the estate's 1041; report and pay any Maryland inheritance tax through the probate accounting and reporting process; pay distributions; and submit the final account to the Register of Wills. Mistakes create personal liability.

Yes — assets passing by beneficiary designation (retirement, life insurance, payable-on-death accounts), jointly titled property with right of survivorship, and trust-owned assets all bypass probate. Comprehensive estate planning before death is the cleanest way to avoid it. After death, we work with what's there.

Maryland charges an inheritance tax on assets passing to non-lineal heirs — nieces, nephews, unrelated friends. Lineal heirs (spouses, children, parents, grandchildren) are exempt. The personal representative files the return and pays before final distribution. We'll walk you through how it applies to your situation during your conversation.

The estate is 'intestate' and Maryland's intestacy statute decides who inherits — spouse and children first, then parents, siblings, and remoter relatives in a fixed order. The Orphans' Court appoints a personal representative, usually a close family member. We guide that appointment and the administration that follows.

You don't have to carry this alone.

A short introductory call tells you what kind of administration applies, what to expect at each stage, and how we can help you carry it.

Schedule Your Introductory Call →(410) 570-1671
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