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
$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
$8,250
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How to use this
- 1Enter gross probate estate ($).
- 2Enter assets that avoid probate ($).
- 3Enter debts and mortgages ($).
- 4Enter attorney fee (% of probate estate).
- 5Enter executor commission (%).
- 6Enter court, publication and bond fees ($).
- 7Enter appraisals, accounting, misc. ($).
- 8Read your estimated probate cost on the right — it updates as you type.
- 9Hit Share to keep the scenario or send it to someone.
About this calculator
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.
Worked example
Using the values the calculator loads with:
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 $
Results
- 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: $8,250
What each field means
Inputs
- Gross probate estate ($)
- The gross probate estate used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 650000 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 10000–20000000 $.
- Assets that avoid probate ($)
- The assets that avoid probate used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 150000 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–20000000 $.
- Debts and mortgages ($)
- The debts and mortgages used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 200000 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–20000000 $.
- Attorney fee (% of probate estate)
- The attorney fee used in the calculation, measured in % of probate estate. Starts at 3 % of probate estate so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–8 % of probate estate.
- Executor commission (%)
- The executor commission used in the calculation, measured in %. Starts at 2.5 % so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–8 %.
- Court, publication and bond fees ($)
- The court, publication and bond fees used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 1800 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–30000 $.
- Appraisals, accounting, misc. ($)
- The appraisals, accounting, misc. used in the calculation, measured in $. Starts at 2500 $ so you have a working example on load. Accepted range: 0–100000 $.
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.
- Net to heirs
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Attorney fees
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Executor commission
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Cost as share of estate
- Returned as a percentage. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
- Saved by assets avoiding probate
- Returned as a money amount in US dollars. It recalculates instantly whenever you change an input, so you can compare scenarios without reloading.
FAQ
Do all states charge a percentage?
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.
Is probate cost based on equity or gross value?
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.
Which assets skip probate?
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.
Is a small-estate procedure cheaper?
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.
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.
Related tools
Cite this calculator
Writing about this topic? Grab a citation — every link helps keep these tools free.
RevenueLab. (2026). Probate Cost Calculator. Retrieved from https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/probate-cost-calculator
<p>Source: <a href="https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/probate-cost-calculator" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Probate Cost Calculator — RevenueLab</a> (2026).</p>
Source: [Probate Cost Calculator — RevenueLab](https://www.revenuelab.fyi/toolbox/probate-cost-calculator) (2026).