District of Columbia Small Estates: the small estate proceeding
The short answer
District of Columbia calls its simplified route the small estate proceeding, and it is set out in D.C. Code § 20-351. This is a court process, not an affidavit. The limit went up on March 21, 2025. District of Columbia sets no waiting period for it. Whether it reaches real estate is the question to ask the clerk first, because that answer usually decides the whole route. The current limit and the date we last read the statute are on the card below.
District of Columbia’s small estate proceeding
District of Columbia sets this out in D.C. Code § 20-351. This is a court process, not an affidavit. The limit went up on March 21, 2025. The figure itself, and the date we last read that statute, are on the card below.[1]
District of Columbia
- Procedure:
- small estate proceeding
- Limit:
- $80,000
- Wait:
- none stated
- Real estate:
- not confirmed
This is a court process, not an affidavit. The limit went up on March 21, 2025.
D.C. Code § 20-351 — official page read September 18, 2026
Whether it reaches real estate is the question to ask the clerk first, because that answer usually decides the whole route.[1]
The small estate proceeding is one piece of settling an estate in District of Columbia. Answer a few questions and Go Forward builds the rest of the list for your situation — the notifications, the accounts, the paperwork — in the order it needs doing.
Build my plan →Steps this page connects to: Check whether probate is required · Order certified death certificates · List what the estate holds
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Creditor claims under D.C. Code § 20-903
Above the limit it is a regular District of Columbia probate case, and whoever the court appoints has to publish a notice to creditors in a local newspaper. The window for claims is 6 months after the notice is first published.. Paying anyone out before that window closes can leave the person who paid personally liable.[2]
District of Columbia
- Published notice:
- required
- Claim window:
- 6 months after the notice is first published.
D.C. Code § 20-903 — official page read September 18, 2026
Sources
- D.C. Code § 20-351 (small estate proceeding) — District of Columbia — official statute or court self-help page. Read September 18, 2026.
- D.C. Code § 20-903 (notice to creditors) — District of Columbia — official statute or court self-help page. Read September 18, 2026.
Each state above links to the statute or court page we read, with the date we read it.
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