Estate & Probate Cost Calculator

Probate typically costs 3-8% of the gross estate. In statutory-fee states like California and Florida, attorney and executor fees are set by statute - California, for example, pays each 4% on the first $100,000, scaling down to 1% above $1M. Court fees, appraisals, and bonds add 1-2% more.

A simple, uncontested probate usually takes 6-12 months. Complex estates with real estate in multiple states, business interests, or contested wills can take 2-5 years. Small-estate procedures (often available for estates under $50,000-$208,850 depending on the state) can resolve in weeks.

For most families, no - the federal estate tax exemption is about $15M per person in 2026 (OBBBA made the higher exemption permanent and indexes it for inflation). Several states (e.g., Massachusetts, Oregon, Washington, New York) have much lower thresholds, sometimes $1M-$2M. Inheritance taxes (Pennsylvania, Kentucky, New Jersey, others) apply to recipients.

Use a revocable living trust, name beneficiaries on retirement accounts and life insurance, hold accounts as joint tenants with right of survivorship or with TOD/POD designations, and use small-estate affidavits where eligible. Up-front planning of $1,500-$5,000 commonly saves 10-20x that in probate fees.

No. A will is a probate document, not a way around probate. It simply tells the court how you want your assets distributed after the process runs its course. To keep assets out of probate entirely, you need tools like a living trust, beneficiary designations, and joint ownership with right of survivorship.

It depends on your state. Where the fee is fixed by statute as a percentage of the estate, there is little room to negotiate. In states that only require "reasonable" compensation, there is more flexibility, and a family member serving as executor will often reduce or waive the fee altogether.