A special administrator is a person appointed by the Court in two different circumstances: (1) to open a safe deposit box owned by a decedent to search for a will and (2) pending the appointment of a personal representative to protect and hold assets of the estate. The powers of a special administrator are limited.
A visitor is an officer, employee, or special appointee of the Court who has no personal interest in the proceeding. A visitor reports to the Court on the ward’s current situation and living conditions. A visitor is usually a social worker. DC Code, sec. 21-2033(c) and Superior Court, Probate Division Rule 327 state the duties of a visitor.
Bond is a type of insurance. If the personal representative misappropriates or otherwise mishandles estate assets, the bonding company will repay the estate the amount lost or the amount of the bond, whichever is less.
When a will or a petition to open an estate is filed, it is assigned a case number that includes the year, then "WIL," "SEB," or "ADM" then an additional number. For example, 1995 ADM 22 is a case number that means the 22nd large estate filed in 1995. The case number can usually be found in the top right-hand corner of a pleading. It can also be found by searching for the decedent by name by computer via the Court’s Court Cases Online.
The assets of a small estate cannot exceed $40,000.00. In addition, a small estate can be opened if the only asset is real estate located outside the District of Columbia. In contrast, the assets of a large estate may include real estate located in the District of Columbia and other assets of any value. A large estate can be opened for litigation purposes, but a small estate cannot.
When there is no will, the persons who are entitled to receive the assets of the estate are set forth in the law of the District of Columbia and are called "heirs." When there is a will, the persons to whom the assets are given under the will are called "legatees" or "beneficiaries."
An abbreviated probate proceeding may be filed by a person having priority to serve as personal representative. Most estate administrations are abbreviated probates. Unusual estates, such as those in which the person seeking appointment does not have priority to be appointed or someone is seeking admission of a copy of a will or exclusion of an original will, require a standard probate proceeding. See DC Code, sec. 20-321, et seq. In standard probate proceedings, there are additional filing requirements and an additional set of publications before a personal representative is appointed. Once a personal representative is appointed, the estate is either supervised or unsupervised. For further information regarding when a standard probate proceeding must be filed and what documents are required, see Filing Standard Probate Proceedings in the District of Columbia.
When an heir or legatee who is to receive liquid assets from an estate cannot be found, the personal representative can file a Petition to Deposit Funds into the Estate Deposit Account to deposit the money into the estate deposit account, a special account held by the Probate Division of the Superior Court, until the person comes forward, files a Petition for Release of Funds Held in the Estate Deposit Account, and obtains an order releasing the money to that person.
It is a chart of blood relationships that can be used to determine who the heirs are in an estate and whether there are any heirs to the fifth degree of consanguinity. If a decedent died without a will and there are no heirs to the fifth degree, the assets of an estate go to the District of Columbia in accordance with DC Code, sec. 19-701.
"Unclaimed property" refers to an asset that is being held by the Unclaimed Property Office of the DC Office of Finance and Treasury. Unclaimed property of a decedent will be released only to a duly appointed personal representative, so an estate must be opened.