{
  "slug": "probate-cost-calculator",
  "title": "Probate Cost Calculator",
  "heading": "Probate Cost Calculator",
  "category": "financial",
  "url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/probate-cost-calculator",
  "summary": "Court fees, executor commission, and attorney fees against the estate value.",
  "description": "Probate cost scales with the gross value of the estate that passes through the court, not the net value after debts, which is why a $700,000 house with a $500,000 mortgage can generate fees as if it were a $700,000 asset in states that use a statutory percentage schedule. This calculator estimates the four cost buckets that appear in nearly every probate: court filing and publication fees, executor or personal representative commission, attorney fees (either a statutory percentage or an hourly estimate), and miscellaneous costs such as appraisals, bonds, and accounting. It then shows the total as a percentage of the estate and what heirs receive after costs and debts. Assets with a named beneficiary or joint ownership — retirement accounts, life insurance, payable-on-death accounts, and property held in a living trust — normally bypass probate entirely, so the tool also shows how the bill changes when you shift assets outside the probate estate.",
  "formula": "Total Cost = Court Fees + Executor Commission + Attorney Fees + Misc. Net to Heirs = Estate − Debts − Total Cost.",
  "dateModified": "2026-09-06",
  "run_url": "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/api/public/calc?tool=probate-cost-calculator",
  "inputs": [
    {
      "id": "estate",
      "label": "Gross probate estate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 650000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 10000,
      "max": 20000000
    },
    {
      "id": "nonProbate",
      "label": "Assets that avoid probate",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 150000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 20000000
    },
    {
      "id": "debts",
      "label": "Debts and mortgages",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 200000,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 20000000
    },
    {
      "id": "attorneyPct",
      "label": "Attorney fee",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 3,
      "unit": "% of probate estate",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 8
    },
    {
      "id": "executorPct",
      "label": "Executor commission",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 2.5,
      "unit": "%",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 8
    },
    {
      "id": "courtFees",
      "label": "Court, publication and bond fees",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 1800,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 30000
    },
    {
      "id": "misc",
      "label": "Appraisals, accounting, misc.",
      "kind": "number",
      "hint": null,
      "default": 2500,
      "unit": "$",
      "min": 0,
      "max": 100000
    }
  ],
  "outputs": [
    {
      "id": "total",
      "label": "Estimated probate cost",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": true
    },
    {
      "id": "netToHeirs",
      "label": "Net to heirs",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "attorney",
      "label": "Attorney fees",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "executor",
      "label": "Executor commission",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "pctOfEstate",
      "label": "Cost as share of estate",
      "format": "percent",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    },
    {
      "id": "savedByAvoiding",
      "label": "Saved by assets avoiding probate",
      "format": "currency",
      "hint": null,
      "primary": false
    }
  ],
  "worked_example": {
    "inputs": [
      "Gross probate estate: 650000 $",
      "Assets that avoid probate: 150000 $",
      "Debts and mortgages: 200000 $",
      "Attorney fee: 3 % of probate estate",
      "Executor commission: 2.5 %",
      "Court, publication and bond fees: 1800 $",
      "Appraisals, accounting, misc.: 2500 $"
    ],
    "outputs": [
      "Estimated probate cost: $31,800",
      "Net to heirs: $418,200",
      "Attorney fees: $15,000",
      "Executor commission: $12,500",
      "Cost as share of estate: 4.89%",
      "Saved by assets avoiding probate: $8,250"
    ]
  },
  "how_to": {
    "title": "How to use this",
    "steps": [
      "Enter gross probate estate ($).",
      "Enter assets that avoid probate ($).",
      "Enter debts and mortgages ($).",
      "Enter attorney fee (% of probate estate).",
      "Enter executor commission (%).",
      "Enter court, publication and bond fees ($).",
      "Enter appraisals, accounting, misc. ($).",
      "Read your estimated probate cost on the right — it updates as you type.",
      "Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone."
    ]
  },
  "scenarios": [
    {
      "name": "Conservative",
      "description": "Lower-end numbers — what if things land soft?",
      "values": {
        "estate": 390000,
        "nonProbate": 90000,
        "debts": 120000,
        "attorneyPct": 1.7999999999999998,
        "executorPct": 1.5,
        "courtFees": 1100,
        "misc": 1500
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Typical",
      "description": "Defaults — the most common real-world setup.",
      "values": {
        "estate": 650000,
        "nonProbate": 150000,
        "debts": 200000,
        "attorneyPct": 3,
        "executorPct": 2.5,
        "courtFees": 1800,
        "misc": 2500
      }
    },
    {
      "name": "Ambitious",
      "description": "Higher-end numbers — what if things really pop?",
      "values": {
        "estate": 1040000,
        "nonProbate": 240000,
        "debts": 320000,
        "attorneyPct": 4.800000000000001,
        "executorPct": 4,
        "courtFees": 2900,
        "misc": 4000
      }
    }
  ],
  "limitations": [
    "Results are estimates before tax, fees, and inflation unless an input explicitly covers them.",
    "Rates are treated as fixed for the whole period — variable-rate products will drift from this projection.",
    "This is educational maths, not financial advice. Check anything contractual with the lender or your accountant."
  ],
  "faq": [
    {
      "q": "Do all states charge a percentage?",
      "a": "No. Some states set statutory fee schedules based on estate value, while others allow reasonable hourly fees. Set the attorney percentage to a small number and put an hourly estimate into the misc field if your state bills hourly."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is probate cost based on equity or gross value?",
      "a": "In percentage-fee states it is typically gross value of probate assets before mortgages, which is why encumbered real estate is expensive to probate and often placed in a trust instead."
    },
    {
      "q": "Which assets skip probate?",
      "a": "Assets with named beneficiaries or survivorship rights: retirement accounts, life insurance, payable-on-death and transfer-on-death accounts, jointly held property with right of survivorship, and anything titled in a living trust."
    },
    {
      "q": "Is a small-estate procedure cheaper?",
      "a": "Much cheaper. Most states offer a simplified affidavit process below a value threshold, sometimes with no attorney involvement. Check your state's threshold before assuming a full probate is required."
    }
  ],
  "related": [
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/estate-tax-exposure-calculator",
    "https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/living-trust-vs-will-cost-calculator"
  ],
  "license": "CC-BY-4.0",
  "citation": "RevenueLab — Probate Cost Calculator (https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/probate-cost-calculator)"
}