Probate - General

What should I expect when my eFiling is rejected?

eFilings are accepted or rejected by the Office of the Register of Wills. If your eFiling is rejected, the Probate Division will identify the reason(s) why your eFiling was not accepted for filing. Please make any necessary changes before re-submitting your document to increase the likelihood that the document will be accepted for filing. No eFiling or court fee will be charged.

I do not want to eFile, but would like to be eServed. Is this possible?

If you are a mandatory eFiler—someone who is an attorney (whether serving as counsel, fiduciary, or otherwise), a member of the Fiduciary Panel, Examiner Panel, and Visitor Panel, or a participant in the Non-Lawyer Guardianship Pilot Project—you must eFile. Other persons can choose to eFile or to be eServed.

Can I serve discovery electronically?

Yes. You may serve discovery documents electronically through the system. Pursuant to Rule Promulgation Order 07-04, Certificates Regarding Discovery need not be filed when discovery is served. Instead, a Certificate Regarding Discovery that has occurred in the case must be filed as an attachment if any of the following three pleadings are filed:

(1) a motion regarding discovery;
(2) an opposition to a dispositive motion based on the need for discovery; or
(3) a motion to extend Scheduling Order dates. SCR-Civil Rule 5(d). 

How do I serve my pleading on the court and the parties when some parties have registered to receive eService and others have not?

Effective Nov. 12, 2024, parties will no longer be able to add contacts to the public list for service contacts for eFiling and eServing documents. The Clerk of the Court Office for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia will maintain the public list to ensure it contains accurate service contacts. You will still be able to select contacts from the public list and add contacts to your firm contact list.

How should my signature appear on the pleading I intend to eFile?

Your signature may appear either as “/s/” or as a typographical or imaged signature on the signature line, followed by your typed name, address, telephone number, email address and, if applicable, Bar number. An “/s/” or typographical signature shall be treated as a personal signature for all purposes under the Superior Court rules, including SCR-Civil Rule 11.

Are there special instructions for filing a document that has been notarized with a raised seal (rather than an inked seal)?

Yes. Highlight the impression of the seal or the raised seal with a pencil so that the impression of the seal can be captured electronically. This should be done whether the document is being eFiled or filed in paper form.

How do I add a Probate judge to my service list when eFiling?

Effective Nov. 12, 2024, parties will no longer be able to add contacts such as judges to the public list for service contacts for eFiling and eServing documents. The Clerk of the Court Office for the Superior Court of the District of Columbia will maintain the public list to ensure it contains accurate service contacts. You will still be able to select contacts from the public list and add contacts to your firm contact list.