Rex says
Money math without the spreadsheet headache. Plug in your numbers and I'll show you exactly where the dollars land.
Try a scenario
Click to load — tweak from there.Inputs
Result
Estimated probate cost
$41,800
Statutory fees
$40,000
Court and administration costs
$1,800
Share of net equity consumed
7.9%
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One click, a permanent link with your numbers baked in.
How to use this
- 1Enter gross estate value ($).
- 2Enter mortgages and debts ($).
- 3Enter court + publication + appraiser ($).
- 4Enter who takes a statutory fee.
- 5Read your estimated probate cost on the right — it updates as you type.
- 6Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
Several states set probate compensation as a sliding percentage of the gross estate — and gross means before the mortgage. This applies a common statutory tier schedule and shows what a living trust would avoid.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
Inputs
- Gross estate value: 850000 $
- Mortgages and debts: 320000 $
- Court + publication + appraiser: 1800 $
- Who takes a statutory fee: Attorney and executor
Results
- Estimated probate cost: $41,800
- Statutory fees: $40,000
- Court and administration costs: $1,800
- Share of net equity consumed: 7.9%
What each field means
Inputs
- Gross estate value ($)
- The gross estate value used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 850000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Mortgages and debts ($)
- The mortgages and debts used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 320000 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Court + publication + appraiser ($)
- The court + publication + appraiser used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1800 $ so you have a working example on load.
- Who takes a statutory fee
- Pick the option that matches your situation — the maths changes per option. Choices: Attorney and executor, Attorney only.
Results
- Estimated probate cost
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars and shown as the headline result. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Statutory fees
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Court and administration costs
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Share of net equity consumed
- Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Why is the fee based on gross value?
Statutory schedules in states like California compute compensation on the inventory value without subtracting the mortgage, which is why heavily financed real estate produces outsized fees.
How do people avoid probate?
Revocable living trusts, transfer-on-death deeds, and properly titled beneficiary designations move assets outside the probate estate. Setup cost is typically a fraction of the statutory fee.
Accuracy and 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.
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Probate Fee Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/estate-probate-fees
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/estate-probate-fees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Probate Fee Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Probate Fee Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/estate-probate-fees) (2026).