Seattle, WA · Probate & Estate Administration
Probate Lawyers in Seattle, Washington
Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone’s estate after they die: proving the will, paying valid debts, and passing what remains to the right people. Our probate lawyers in Seattle guide families through that process across King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties, so you are not learning a court system while you grieve.
Probate help for Seattle families
If you just lost a family member, probate is probably a word you have heard but never had to deal with. Here is the plain answer. Probate is the court-supervised process of settling someone’s estate after they die: proving the will, appointing someone to act for the estate, paying valid debts, and passing what remains to the right people.
Not every death in Washington leads to probate. Probate is generally required when the person who died owned real estate in their own name, or when their personal property is large enough that banks and other institutions will not release it without court authority. When it is required, the case is filed in Superior Court. If your loved one lived in Seattle or elsewhere in King County, that means King County Superior Court, and View Ridge Law can handle the filing for you, including remotely if you live out of the area.
When probate is not required in Washington
Washington gives families simpler paths for smaller estates. If the person who died owned no real estate and their personal property is worth less than $100,000, heirs can often collect assets with a small estate affidavit instead of opening a probate. Assets with named beneficiaries, such as life insurance and retirement accounts, and property held in a living trust usually pass outside probate entirely.
Part of our job as a probate lawyer in Seattle is telling you honestly when you do not need a full probate at all. Sometimes the right advice is a one-page affidavit, not a court case.
How we handle probate for Seattle families
Every estate is different, but a Washington probate handled by View Ridge Law typically moves through these steps:
- Locating and proving the will, or confirming who inherits under Washington law when there is no will
- Filing the petition in Superior Court and getting a personal representative or administrator appointed
- Requesting nonintervention powers where available, a Washington option that lets the personal representative administer the estate without returning to court for approval at each step
- Identifying assets and debts, notifying creditors, and resolving valid claims
- Handling tax filings and final accounting
- Distributing property and closing the estate
Because View Ridge Law also drafts wills and trusts, probate here is handled inside the same firm that builds estate plans. The attorneys administering an estate understand what the documents were designed to do, so the administration follows the plan’s intent instead of fighting it. If you are still deciding whether your own family needs a plan, start with our estate planning overview or our page on wills.
Avoiding conflict matters as much as paperwork. No one wants their family fighting over property or guessing at a parent’s wishes. When disputes do surface, View Ridge Law handles estate administration and TEDRA actions, the Washington procedure for resolving trust and estate disputes, alongside the probate itself. One firm, one file, no handoff in the middle of a hard season.
Estate planning
Still deciding whether your own family needs a plan? Start with our estate planning overview.
Wills & trusts
View Ridge Law drafts wills and trusts, so probate is handled inside the same firm that builds estate plans.
Estate administration & TEDRA
When disputes surface, we handle estate administration and TEDRA actions, the Washington procedure for resolving trust and estate disputes.
Why Seattle families work with View Ridge Law
The first conversation is deliberately simple. A Client Services Director reviews your situation in a case evaluation, explains what the estate likely needs, and coordinates a meeting with an attorney if you decide to move forward. You will not be pushed into a full probate that the estate does not require.
A reputation real families vouch for
Clients have given the firm 4.5 stars across 179 Google reviews. You can meet the people behind those numbers on our team page.
A full team, not a solo office
View Ridge Law was founded in Seattle in 2014 and has grown to a team of 13 attorneys serving King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties.
Local courts, handled for you
Our probate lawyers guide families through the court process across King, Snohomish, and Pierce Counties, including remotely if you live out of the area.
Recognized for our work
Honored by readers and the legal community
The firm’s recognition includes Seattle Times Best in the PNW 2024 and 2025, Expertise.com Best Divorce Lawyers in Seattle, and Avvo.
Meet Sean Siska
Sean Siska
Attorney, View Ridge Law
Sean Siska has more than a decade of experience helping clients with estate planning, probate, guardianship, and trust matters. His probate work includes contested estate disputes under TEDRA, complex real-estate transfers tied to estate administration, and estate litigation.
Sean has also served as a Probate Guardian ad Litem for minor beneficiaries. He combines careful legal analysis with clear communication so clients remain informed and supported while handling difficult estate matters.
Credentials: University of Washington, J.D. · 10+ years of legal experience · TEDRA contested-estate work · Former Probate Guardian ad Litem for minor beneficiaries · Read Sean’s full bio →
Probate questions Seattle families ask us
Is probate required in Washington State?
Probate is usually required in Washington when the person who died owned real estate in their own name or left personal property too large to transfer by affidavit. Smaller estates with no real estate and under $100,000 in personal property can often skip probate using a small estate affidavit, and assets with beneficiary designations pass outside probate.
What does probate cost in Washington?
A Washington probate typically involves a court filing fee of a few hundred dollars plus attorney fees, which View Ridge Law explains up front at your case evaluation. Washington does not set attorney fees as a percentage of the estate the way some states do, so the cost usually tracks the actual work the estate needs.
How long does probate take in Washington?
Most straightforward Washington probates take several months to about a year, though no attorney can promise a schedule because creditor claims, taxes, and disputes all affect timing. Washington’s nonintervention powers often shorten the process by letting the personal representative act without repeated court approval.
Do I need a probate attorney in Washington State if there is a will?
A will still has to be proved and administered through the court, so most families benefit from a probate attorney in Washington State even when the will is clear. An attorney gets the personal representative appointed, handles creditor notice correctly, and keeps mistakes from creating personal liability for the family member in charge.
What is estate administration and how is it different from probate?
Estate administration is the full job of settling a loved one’s affairs, and probate is the court-supervised piece of it. Administration includes gathering assets, paying debts and taxes, and distributing property, whether that happens inside a probate, through a trust, or by affidavit. View Ridge Law handles estate administration in all three forms for Seattle area families.
Talk to a probate lawyer in Seattle today
You do not have to sort this out alone, and you do not have to know the right questions yet. Call 206-966-4020 or fill out the form to schedule a Case Evaluation. A Client Services Director will review your situation, explain whether the estate needs probate at all, and connect you with an attorney if you choose to move forward.
View Ridge Law
3418 NE 65th St, Suite A
Seattle, WA 98115
Phone: 206-966-4020
By appointment.
