Beaverton and Washington County
Beaverton Probate Attorney
Chris Clark has focused on Oregon probate and estate administration since 2006, and he is the attorney who will actually handle your Beaverton estate, which is more than most directory listings can tell you about who's behind the phone number.
Do I Need a Probate Lawyer in Beaverton?
Sometimes the answer is no. In most cases, Oregon's simple estate affidavit is an option when the estate holds no more than $75,000 in personal property and no more than $200,000 in real property, it can't be filed until 30 days after the death, and the filing fee is $124. If that fits your family's situation, Chris will tell you so on the first call. In some cases, however, an estate that is eligible to file a simple estate affidavit is more efficiently handled with a probate, and Chris can help you understand if that is your situation.
Full probate is different. The personal representative has fiduciary duties to both beneficiaries and creditors and can be held personally responsible for mistakes, omissions, or missed deadlines. Although Washington County doesn’t currently require a personal representative to be represented by an attorney, not knowing the relevant deadlines, filing requirements, and tax traps can make an already difficult situation more stressful for self-represented parties.
How Washington County Probate Works
Beaverton sits entirely within Washington County, so a Beaverton resident's estate is filed with the Washington County Circuit Court at the courthouse in Hillsboro. Probate venue in Oregon often corresponds to the place where the person considered their home, but also includes counties where the decedent had real or tangible property. A Beaverton descendant who has rental real property in Portland can file in Hillsboro or Multnomah County.
From there, the statutory sequence applies.
01
Petition and Appointment
Chris files the petition for appointment of personal representative along with the will, if there is one.. The court issues letters testamentary (if a Will) or letters of administration (if no Will), and you have legal authority to act.
02
Notice to Heirs, Creditors, and the Public
Heirs and beneficiaries receive written notice, notice to interested persons is published, and you search for creditors during the first three months after appointment.
03
The Four-Month Claim Period
Creditors have four months from first publication to present claims. Chris reviews any questionable or problematic claims with you, and advises you on the order claims should be paid.
04
Inventory Within 90 Days
An inventory of estate property with date-of-death values is filed with the court within 90 days of your appointment. Getting advice on what assets need appraisals and how to calculate the estate tax value of assets has important income and estate tax aspects.
05
Taxes, Accounting, and Distribution
After final income tax returns are filed, and any Oregon estate tax return is filed (if the estate reaches $1 million) and paid, the final accounting goes to the court. The remainder of the probate estate is distributed after court approval.
Being named personal representative isn't just a title, it's a fiduciary job with personal liability attached. You're responsible for securing and safekeeping the decedent’s property, keeping estate money strictly separate from your own, giving heirs and creditors the notice Oregon requires, and documenting every dollar in and out.
- You must take a personal representative’s class as required by the Multnomah County probate department.
- You must open a separate bank account with a new tax ID number in your name as a personal representative and keep estate funds out of your personal accounts.
- You must determine the estate tax value of the decedent’s assets, even if no Oregon estate tax return is required.
- You must provide heirs, beneficiaries, and other interested parties with statutory notice, publish a probate notice, and then file proof of giving those notices with the court.
- You must search for creditors during the first three months after appointment and give notice to certain creditors you find.
- You must file an inventory with the court within 90 days of appointment.
- You can be held personally responsible for losses caused by mistakes, omissions, or failure to perform these duties.
That last point is why many Gresham families call an attorney even when they're confident they could figure out the forms. If unpaid taxes are part of the picture, Chris's post on protecting the personal representative from unfiled and unpaid taxes is worth reading before you distribute anything.
How Long Probate Takes in Washington County, and What It Costs
The numbers below are set by Oregon statute, not by county practice, so they're the same in Hillsboro as anywhere else in the state. What varies is the nature and extent of issues that may arise in each probate, from problematic creditors, unfiled taxes, and difficult beneficiaries.
Four months minimum
The creditor claim period, running from the first publication of notice. An estate cannot be closed before this claim period expires.
Six to twelve months typical
A straightforward Washington County estate. Selling a home, resolving a contested claim, or filing back tax returns may extend it.
$278 to $1,176
The statutory filing fee for the petition, tiered by estate value, plus separate fees for annual and final accountings and roughly $135 for publication.
Attorney fees aren't set by statute in Oregon probate. Chris gives you a realistic picture of cost after he understands what the estate involves and after considering the nature and extent of expected issues.
You'll Know Exactly Who Is Handling Your Case
Search "probate lawyer near Beaverton, Oregon" and you'll mostly get directory listings that don't tell you who would actually do the work. Here's who does the work at The O'Neill Law Firm.
- Every Beaverton-area probate matter is handled by Chris Clark directly, from the first call through final distribution.
- He has focused his practice on estate planning and estate administration since 2006.
- He earned his J.D., magna cum laude, from Lewis & Clark Law School.
- He is a member of the Oregon State Bar's Estate Planning and Elder Law Sections and the Multnomah Bar Association.
- You call one number and reach the attorney, not an intake line.
The About page has the rest of his background if you want it before you call.
Beaverton Probate Questions Chris Hears Most
Where do I file probate for someone who lived in Beaverton?
Washington County Circuit Court in Hillsboro is the usual filing location for the estate of a Beaverton resident. However, other counties may be an option if the decedent died or owned real or tangible property outside of Washington County, and Chris can advise you on that.
How long does probate take in Washington County, Oregon?
Six to twelve months for most estates. The four-month creditor claim period is the fixed floor, and the variable is how long it takes to sell property, resolve claims, and finish tax filings.
What are the costs involved in a Beaverton probate?
Statutory court filing fees of $278 to $1,176 for the petition, accounting fees at the end, publication costs typically at $135, and attorney fees that depend on the estate. Appraisals add cost when property values aren't obvious but also provide support for estate and income tax filings involving that property.
Can I avoid probate for a Beaverton estate?
Sometimes. Assets with a named beneficiary, joint accounts with survivorship, and property held in a funded trust pass outside probate. If everything the person owned falls into those categories, there may be nothing to probate at all.
Serving Beaverton and the Wider Portland Metro
Chris handles estates across Oregon, including Washington, Multnomah, and Clackamas counties. For nearby communities, see the pages on Lake Oswego probate and Gresham probate, or read the full overview of his probate and trust administration practice.
Call About Your Beaverton Estate
Losing someone is hard enough without a court process on top of it. Call during business hours and Chris will tell you plainly whether this needs full probate, what the timeline looks like, and what to do first.