Estate Planning Lawyer in Waldorf, MD
SoMD Estate Planning works with Waldorf families from our office just south of town on Route 301: 10665 Stanhaven Pl. Ste. 108, White Plains, MD 20695. Attorney Kathryn Batey does the drafting.
The Essential Estate Package is $1,500 flat for your household — a will, an Advanced Medical Directive and a Power of Attorney, for one person or a married couple. Published price, no hourly billing.
Why This Comes Up in Waldorf
Waldorf and St. Charles are full of households that bought a first or second home here and commute out — to the District, to Joint Base Andrews, to Naval Support Facility Indian Head, to jobs across the river. Two things follow from that pattern, and they are the two things we fix most often.
First, the house is usually the largest asset and it is usually the thing that pushes an estate past Maryland’s small-estate ceiling. An estate of $50,000 or less in gross probate assets opens as a small estate, or $100,000 if the surviving spouse is the sole heir or legatee. Above that figure it is a regular estate, with inventories, accountings and creditor notice periods. A Waldorf house with equity in it clears that line on its own.
Second, a long commute is exactly the circumstance in which a Power of Attorney and a healthcare agent stop being paperwork. If you are unavailable or incapacitated and nobody holds authority, the alternative is a guardianship petition in Circuit Court — slower, public and more expensive than the documents that would have prevented it.
Where Waldorf Estates Are Actually Filed
Waldorf has no probate office. Charles County estates are opened with the Register of Wills at 11 Washington Avenue in La Plata, weekdays 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., and contested matters or accountings go to the Orphans’ Court for Charles County, which sits in La Plata as well. Worth factoring in when you decide who your personal representative should be — that person will be making the drive.
What We Draft
Simple Wills — who receives what, who administers the estate, who raises your minor children.
Advanced Medical Directives — a living will plus a named healthcare agent.
Powers of Attorney — authority over banking, property and benefits if you cannot act.
Guardianship Designations — the clause naming who raises your children.
Trusts — for the minority of households with a specific reason for one. We will tell you if you are not one of them.
Meeting Us
In person in White Plains, minutes down 301, or by video. Flat fee quoted before we start. Typically two appointments: one to go through your situation, one to sign with the witnesses and notarization Maryland requires.
Serving Waldorf and Surrounding Communities
Waldorf, St. Charles, White Plains, Bensville, Bryans Road, Pomfret, Hughesville, La Plata and the rest of Charles County — plus Prince George’s, Calvert and St. Mary’s counties.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does a will cost in Waldorf, MD?
$1,500 flat for the Essential Estate Package — will, Advanced Medical Directive and Power of Attorney for your household, individual or married couple. No hourly billing. Trust work is quoted separately depending on what the trust has to do.
Where is your office near Waldorf?
10665 Stanhaven Pl. Ste. 108, White Plains, MD 20695, just south of Waldorf on Route 301. We also meet by video.
Do I need a trust or just a will?
Most Waldorf households are served by a will plus correct beneficiary designations. A trust earns its cost when there is a specific job for it — a blended family, a beneficiary who should not receive money outright, real property in more than one state, or privacy.
Do I file estate paperwork in Waldorf?
No. Waldorf has no probate office. Charles County estates are opened with the Register of Wills at 11 Washington Avenue in La Plata, and the Orphans’ Court for Charles County sits in La Plata as well.
Get Started
Contact SoMD Estate Planning about the $1,500 Essential Estate Package, or call (301) 818-0389.