Annapolis, Maryland · Estate Planning · Elder Law · Business Succession · ProbateCall: (410) 570-1671
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 across Maryland — including Anne Arundel and Prince George's County. We handle the Register of Wills filings, creditor process, inheritance-tax returns, and final accounting — so you can focus on your family.

Anne Arundel · Prince George's · Statewide·Experienced Personal-Representative Counsel
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, the Maryland inheritance-tax return 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

Final 1040, estate 1041, Maryland inheritance tax return, MET-1 if applicable.

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 appear before the Register of Wills — including Anne Arundel County in Annapolis and Prince George's County in Upper Marlboro.

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
  • 9–14 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.

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.