District of Columbia Household Paperwork Bundle: 3 Kits in One Download (DC Executor and Estate Kit, DC Small Claims Kit, DC Will Signing Kit)

Who it is for

Families in District of Columbia getting papers in order: signing a power of attorney or will, settling an estate, or taking a money dispute to small claims.

Not the right fit if

You only need one of these papers (buy that kit on its own), or nothing is in District of Columbia. Not a form preparation or legal service.

Why it is different

• 3 kits for 30% less than buying them one by one; each keeps its own folder in the download.
• The DC kits are built only from our DC data files: Sources, checked November 2026: DC Superior Court Probate Division: Filing for the administration of a small estate (SEB) brochure (PDF); DC Courts: Small estates (SEB) FAQs; D.C. Code 18-103, Execution of written will; attestation (DC Council); D.C. Code 18-102, Capacity to make a will (DC Council); D.C. Code Title 18, Chapter 1, Wills (DC Council); D.C. Code 18-905, Execution of electronic will (DC Council); Nolo (secondary source): Making a Will in the District of Columbia (Nolo, updated October 2022); DC small claims data file, checked November 2026 against DC Courts: Small Claims change of cap from $5,000 to $10,000 (press release); DC Superior Court Civil Rule 202 Fees; DC Courts: Small Claims (Civil Division); DC Court of Appeals: Appeals from Small Claims guide; Superior Court Rules of Procedure for the Small Claims and Conciliation Branch (DC Courts); DC will signing data file, checked November 2026 against D.C. Code 18-103, Execution of written will; attestation (DC Council); D.C. Code 18-102, Capacity to make a will (DC Council); D.C. Code Title 18, Chapter 1, Wills (DC Council); D.C. Code 18-905, Execution of electronic will (DC Council); Nolo (secondary source): Making a Will in the District of Columbia (Nolo, updated October 2022).
• Every kit in the set is written for DC.

What is inside

• District of Columbia Executor and Estate Kit. All assets subject to administration in DC worth $40,000 or less (the figure in effect since April 27, 2001). It depends on the route. The petition is declared under penalty of law; an affidavit about personal effects, if any, must be notarized. Through a court office. Filed with the Register of Wills, Probate Division of DC Superior Court, in person or by mail. Petition for Administration of Small Estate. Filed with Forms 26 and 27 and a court cost of up to $150 (for $25,000.01 to $40,000). Small estate administration (SEB): A short court proceeding that appoints a personal representative, with notice to creditors and unknown heirs. The surviving spouse or registered domestic partner is high in the priority list to serve. Two or more credible witnesses, who attest in the testator's presence. Not available. Nolo's D.C. page says D.C. doesn't offer the self-proving option that spares the witnesses from going to court to testify that they saw the will signed. Not recognized unless witnessed: a will is void unless two credible witnesses attest and sign it in the testator's presence (D.C. Code 18-103). The section's only exceptions are oral (nuncupative) wills and electronic wills. An interested witness can lose any gift the will leaves them (Nolo, citing D.C. Code 18-104). real estate, waiting period after the death: look up on DC Superior Court Probate Division: Filing for the administration of a small estate (SEB) brochure (PDF).
• District of Columbia Small Claims Court Kit. In DC, small claims (Small Claims and Conciliation Branch, Superior Court of the District of Columbia) cover claims up to $10,000. From the official page: DC Courts press release: Small Claims limit raised from $5,000 to $10,000 effective January 3, 2017. Service: Personal delivery by any competent adult who isn't a party, or leaving the papers at the defendant's home with a suitable adult who lives there; or the clerk mails them by certified or registered mail, return receipt requested, with postage the plaintiff pays at filing (Small Claims Rule 4). File proof of service within 60 days of filing (90 days in debt collection cases) and at least 7 days before the first court date. Lawyers are allowed. Appeal: An appeal goes to the DC Court of Appeals by an Application for Allowance of Appeal filed in the Court of Appeals Clerk's Office: "you only have 3 days" if an Associate Judge signed the order; if a Magistrate Judge signed it, first file a Motion for Review by an Associate Judge in Superior Court within 10 days, then 3 days to appeal. "It costs $10 to file an Application for Allowance of Appeal" ($40 more if it is granted), and "Applications for Allowance of Appeal are not granted very often.". Where and how to file, from the official pages: The Small Claims Clerk's Office, Room 110, 510 4th St. NW, Building B, Washington, DC 20001, by mail or in person, or the lobby drop box at the Moultrie Courthouse, 500 Indiana Avenue NW. Fees: claims $500 or less: $5 (Superior Court Civil Rule 202 (amended 2020)); claims over $500 up to $2,500: $10; claims over $2,500: $45. Superior Court Civil Rule 202 (Small Claims & Landlord-Tenant column). Service costs extra. Online filing: http://efiledcsuperiorcourt.gov/ A claim calculator that adds up your items and compares the total with $10,000, a costs sheet with the DC fee list, a deadline sheet in business days that skips weekends and federal holidays, and a collection tracker with the balance owed.
• District of Columbia Will Signing Day Kit. Bring 2 witnesses. The rule: Two or more credible witnesses, who attest in the testator's presence. Pick witnesses who get nothing under the will and aren't married to someone who does. If a beneficiary would have to witness, stop and call the lawyer first: An interested witness can lose any gift the will leaves them (Nolo, citing D.C. Code 18-104). No self-proving affidavit to arrange for this state: Not available. Nolo's D.C. page says D.C. doesn't offer the self-proving option that spares the witnesses from going to court to testify that they saw the will signed. The rule here: An interested witness can lose any gift the will leaves them (Nolo, citing D.C. Code 18-104). The testator signs (or acknowledges the signature) while the witnesses watch, then each witness signs. Steps, ID, copies and review dates. Remote witnessing in DC: For an electronic will only: at least two witnesses sign in the testator's physical or electronic presence, and each must be a resident of a state and physically in a state when signing. Electronic wills: Authorized. The execution section carves out wills made under the Uniform Electronic Wills Act in Chapter 9. Where the original is and who has copies. Handwritten wills in DC: Not recognized unless witnessed: a will is void unless two credible witnesses attest and sign it in the testator's presence (D.C. Code 18-103). The section's only exceptions are oral (nuncupative) wills and electronic wills.