The Register of Wills office serves citizens in the administration of estate issues in Anne Arundel County. This often requires working with sensitive information and helping individuals navigate often complex legal processes. We value professionalism, confidentiality, and excellent customer service.  

Who is the Register of Wills?

Ms. Jasmine Jackson was appointed to fulfill the term and vacancy of her predecessor in June 2024.  Ms. Jackson has worked her way up through various positions in her nearly 17 years in the ROW office including Records, Deputy, Human Resources and Chief Auditor. She supervises over 25 employees with an average of over 10 years of experience per employee. Assisting public with estates is her first priority. To accomplish this and fulfill all office roles, she also works with the Comptroller’s office, other county Registers, the Attorney General’s office,  and estate attorneys. 

Jasmine Jackson is seeking to be elected to the position she will have already been performing for over two years by the June 2026 Primary Election, and the November 2026 General Election. She considers the Register of Wills to be her career with no higher ambition and no interest in other political offices. In other words, Jasmine is not a political insider or a perennial candidate looking for a position. She is a dedicated public servant who cares deeply about the citizens of Anne Arundel County.  Ms. Jackson plans to stay in alignment with the majority of the Register of Wills offices with a cost-effective approach on how every dollar is spent. While the office does collect millions of dollars annually, the majority of those funds are turned back over to the Maryland Comptroller for state use.

The Probate Process:

If there is a Will when an individual dies (the decedent), the Register of Wills office assists with filing the Last Will and Testament. If the decedent owned assets in their name alone, Maryland laws provide for an orderly process to transfer those assets by opening an estate (this process sometimes is referred to as “probate”). The Register of Wills also assists in appointing a personal representative to administer the decedent’s estate and for overseeing the proper and timely administration of these proceedings. For more information please refer to: registers.maryland.gov

WE CANNOT GIVE LEGAL ADVICE:

The Register of Wills office may assist with the necessary forms but cannot give legal advice. Likewise, as a government agency, we cannot assist with estate planning or writing of a will as it would be a conflict of interest to assist or advise on estate planning on writing wills. MD Code – Estates and Trusts § 2-203 states that not only can the Register of employees not give legal advice, they cannot refer business or accept personal compensation for providing public services.  Finally, it is important to remember that we are part of the Judicial Branch and not the Legislative and, thus, we are unable to change laws.

For more information, visit registers.maryland.gov