Oregon Probate Court Multnomah County: Filing, Fees, and What to Expect

Multnomah County Circuit Court handles more probate filings than any other county in Oregon, which means higher caseloads, stricter local rules, and a mandatory fiduciary training requirement that doesn't exist statewide. If you're settling an estate in the Portland metropolitan area, understanding Multnomah County's specific procedures will save you rejected filings and missed deadlines.

Where to File and Basic Logistics

Probate matters in Multnomah County are handled by the Circuit Court's Probate Department. The court does not provide legal advice — staff can tell you which forms to file but cannot explain how to complete them or which options apply to your situation (this is prohibited under ORS 9.160).

You'll file in Multnomah County if the decedent was domiciled there at the time of death or, for non-residents, if they owned real property in the county with no probate opened elsewhere in Oregon. Portland, Gresham, Troutdale, Fairview, and Wood Village all fall within Multnomah County's jurisdiction.

Filing Fees

Oregon probate filing fees are standardized across all circuit courts, including Multnomah County:

These fees cover the initial filing only. Additional motions, accountings, and contested hearings carry separate charges.

Multnomah County's Guardian Partners Requirement

This is the rule that catches most first-time personal representatives off guard. Multnomah County has adopted a Supplementary Local Rule requiring any non-professional individual appointed as a personal representative, guardian, or conservator to complete a fiduciary education program through Guardian Partners, a state-designated nonprofit.

The deadlines are aggressive:

• Register within 15 days of your court appointment date
• Complete the full course within 60 days of appointment

Guardian Partners training covers the separation of estate funds, marshaling assets, handling creditor claims, and personal liability. The fee is a standard cost of administration, payable from estate funds.

Licensed attorneys, professional fiduciaries, and trust companies serving as personal representative are exempt from this requirement. But if you're a family member handling the estate yourself, this deadline starts running the moment the court issues your Letters Testamentary — not when you learn about the requirement. Missing the registration deadline can result in removal proceedings.

Clackamas, Marion, and Lane counties have similar requirements, but with slightly different timelines. Clackamas gives you 90 days to complete the training, compared to Multnomah's 60.

The Formal Probate Process in Multnomah County

Once you file the Petition for Appointment and the court issues Letters Testamentary (or Letters of Administration for intestate estates), the standard Oregon probate timeline applies:

First 30 days: Begin publishing the Notice to Interested Persons in a newspaper of general circulation in Multnomah County — once per week for three consecutive weeks. Mail direct notice to the Oregon Health Authority and the Department of Human Services Estate Administration Unit. Register for Guardian Partners training.

Within 60 days: File proof of service showing you conducted a diligent search for known creditors and mailed them notice. Complete the Guardian Partners course.

Within 90 days: File the estate inventory (ORS 113.165) listing all assets and their fair market value as of the date of death.

Four months after first publication: The creditor claim window closes. Claims filed after this deadline are generally barred.

Ongoing: File annual accountings if the estate can't be closed within the first year. Each accounting must begin where the prior one ended — no gaps.

Final steps: File the final accounting under ORS 116.083, mail notice to all distributees, wait 20 days for objections, and petition for approval of the distribution.

Simple Estate Alternative

Many Portland-area estates qualify for the simplified route. If the gross fair market value is under $275,000 — with no more than $200,000 in real property and $75,000 in personal property — you can file a Simple Estate Affidavit instead of opening formal probate.

A critical trap in Portland's real estate market: qualification is based on gross fair market value at the date of death, with no reduction for mortgages or liens. A home appraised at $350,000 with a $300,000 mortgage still counts as $350,000 in real property — which exceeds the $200,000 cap and disqualifies the estate from the simple process, even though the actual equity is only $50,000. In a county where median home prices routinely exceed $400,000, this knocks many estates out of the simplified track.

The Simple Estate Affidavit requires a 30-day waiting period after the date of death, and the filing fee is $124.

The Oregon Estate Tax Factor

Multnomah County estates are disproportionately affected by Oregon's estate tax because Portland-area real estate values push many middle-class families over the $1 million exemption threshold. While the federal estate tax exemption sits at $15 million for 2026, Oregon's hasn't been adjusted since 2012.

A Portland home, a retirement account, and a life insurance policy can easily push an otherwise modest estate into taxable territory. The personal representative has 12 months from the date of death to file Form OR-706 and pay any tax owed. Rates range from 10% to 16% on the amount above $1 million.

Medicaid Recovery in Multnomah County

If the decedent received Medicaid long-term care benefits after age 55, the DHS Estate Administration Unit will file a recovery claim. Oregon's definition of recoverable assets is broader than most states — the EAU can pursue non-probate assets including jointly held bank accounts, payable-on-death accounts, and property in revocable trusts. This applies regardless of whether you're using the formal probate or Simple Estate Affidavit process.

The personal representative must mail notice to the EAU within 30 days of appointment. Failing to do so doesn't make the claim disappear — it creates personal liability for the representative.

The Oregon Probate Process Guide covers the complete Multnomah County workflow — from petition filing through final distribution — including Guardian Partners deadlines, estate tax calculations, and the exact notification sequence that trips up first-time executors in Portland-area estates.

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