registers.maryland.govOffice Of The Register Of Wills

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COUNTY LINKS -- Register Of Wills Offices Click To Select Allegany County Anne Arundel County Baltimore City Baltimore County Calvert County Caroline County Carroll County Cecil County Charles County Dorchester County Frederick County Garrett County Harford County Howard County Kent County Montgomery County Prince George's County Queen Anne's County St. Mary's County Somerset County Talbot County Washington County Wicomico County Worcester County OTHER AGENCIES -- Related Agencies Link 1 Link 2 Link 3 Link 4 Link 5 -- MARYLAND COURTS CLOSINGS AND DELAYS - CLICK FOR LISTINGS - In the event of inclement weather, most Register of Wills Offices will be closed if the County Circuit Court is closed. Please call your Register of Wills Office to check their status. -- IMPORTANT NOTICE ALL REGISTER OF WILLS OFFICES WILL BE CLOSED Monday, January 20, 2020 for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day -- IMPORTANT NOTICE The Harford County Register of Wills Office is experiencing a power outage. The office is closed until further notice. This is also affecting their email and ESTATE SEARCH for Harford County estates. We apologize for any inconvenience. -- Obverse Side Of The Maryland State Seal -- -- MARYLAND COURTS CLICK BANNER FOR LISTINGS In the event of inclement weather, most Register of Wills Offices will be closed if the County Circuit Court is closed. Please call your Register of Wills Office to check their status. -- To find the Register Of Wills Office in your county, click a jurisdiction or select from the dropdown list   Important Notice This website will be down for scheduled maintenance beginning at approximately 9:00 PM on Friday, October 13th. We expect to have the site back online by 5:00 PM on Sunday, October 15th. We apologize for any inconvenience. -- IMPORTANT NOTICE The Howard County Register of Wills Office is closed due to a power outage. They are also experiencing an internet interruption. This is affecting their email and ESTATE SEARCH for Howard County estates. Engineers are working to resolve the issue. We apologize for any inconvenience. --   to extend left verticle line you only need one paragraph normally /// more if multiple holidays and/or other notice---   to extend left verticle line you only need one paragraph normally /// more if multiple holidays and/or other notice--- Who We Are The Office of Register of Wills is a public office established under the Constitution of the State of Maryland. The Constitution provides for a Register from each county and the City of Baltimore. Each Register is elected by qualified voters for a four-year term of office at the time of the gubernatorial election. The Register of Wills is responsible for appointing personal representatives to administer decedents’ estates and for overseeing the proper and timely administration of these proceedings. We also perform the following duties: assist and advise the public in the preparation of all required forms; maintain and preserve the permanent record of all proceedings; serve as the Clerk to the Orphans’ Court; track estates and refer delinquent matters to the Court; determine and collect inheritance taxes and probate fees/court costs; audit accounts of personal representatives and guardians; mail various notices and court orders to interested persons; and, verify compliance with court orders. As a service we provide safekeeping for wills of living persons. Human Trafficking GET HELP National Human Trafficking Hotline -- 24/7 Confidential 1-888-373-7888 233733 For more information on human trafficking in Maryland click here . What Is Probate ? The literal interpretation means to prove, as in proving one's will. It can be done administratively in the Register of Wills Office or judicially by the Orphans' Court when necessary. It is the marshalling of assets, the payment of all creditors and the transference of all property in the decedent's name to the beneficiaries either named in the will or who would inherit under the laws of intestacy (dying without a will). Allegany County Courthouse Annex Anne Arundel County Circuit Courthouse Baltimore City Courthouse East Baltimore County Courts Building Calvert County Courthouse Caroline County Courthouse Carroll County Courthouse Annex Cecil County Circuit Courthouse Charles County Courthouse Dorchester County Courthouse Frederick County Courthouse Garrett County Courthouse Harford County Mutual Fire Ins. Bldg. Howard County Circuit Courthouse Kent County Courthouse Montgomery County Judicial Center Prince George's County Courthouse Queen Anne's County Liberty Building St. Mary's County Courthouse Somerset County Courthouse Talbot County Courthouse Washington County Administration Building Wicomico County Courthouse Worcester County Courthouse The Importance of Wills and Estate Planning Appointment of trusted fiduciaries (personal representatives, trustees and guardians) Achieve maximum savings of administrative costs and death taxes Dispose of your estate according to your wishes Avoid possible family disputes -- About Our Services The Offices of the Registers Of Wills are committed to giving our constituents the best service possible. Every effort is made to provide accurate information and assistance regarding matters that are important to you. Please be advised, however, that we are prohibited by law from rendering legal advice. We have published this website in an attempt to carry on our tradition of courteous, professional and efficient service. The information you will find here is intended to assist you by providing some basic information relating to estates and the functions of our offices. Please be sure to check our Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) and our Publications Section for general information, sample guides and informative brochures. We sincerely hope you find this website helpful and your experience with our offices satisfactory. Important Updates 2018 Statutory Changes (CLICK HERE) ONLINE PURCHASE OF DOCUMENT COPIES NOW AVAILABLE VIA ESTATE SEARCH: Document copies are available for online purchase from the following counties - Anne Arundel, Baltimore (City and County), Calvert, Caroline, Carroll, Cecil, Charles, Dorchester, Frederick, Garrett, Harford, Howard, Kent, Montgomery, Prince George's, Queen Anne's, St. Mary's, Somerset, Talbot, Washington, Wicomico, Worcester . ONLINE PURCHASE OF DOCUMENT COPIES COMING SOON: Currently in the test phase, document copies will soon be available for online purchase from the following counties - Anne Arundel, Baltimore (County), Calvert, Howard, Montgomery . Other jurisdictions will be added shortly thereafter. Check back for updates. -- MODIFICATIONS TO FORMS have been approved by the Maryland Court of Appeals, effective January 1, 2016. A list of affected forms can be found HERE . Updated forms are available on this website and at all Register of Wills Offices. Prior version of forms will be accepted until May 1, 2016. -- MD ESTATE TAX RETURNS: Effective July 1, 2015 the Maryland Estate Tax Return is filed directly with the Comptroller. The form, with new filing instructions, can be found here - MET 1 -- PAPER REDUCTION INITIATIVE: (Estates & Trusts 2-209) The Registers are presently developing standards in accordance with this law change and will post them here in the near future.-- Update History Directory Privacy Notice Terms Of Use Email: Web Manager Facebook Twitter Google Plus YouTube Flickr MD Social Media Directory -- MD Social Media Directory -- --...