A probate lawyer costs $150 to $450 an hour, a flat fee of about $2,500 to $7,000 for a simple uncontested estate, or a statutory 2% to 5% of the estate value in the states that set percentage fees. On a typical estate, the total lands somewhere between $3,000 and $10,000 — paid by the estate, not the executor out of pocket.
This page is a buyer's guide written for families and executors, then a short note for the law firms that show up in this search. We run our own service companies on the same web and SEO stack we sell, so the "how clients judge your firm" part at the end is what we watch work every week.
The most common model. Good when the estate is hard to predict — contests, creditor fights, or messy records. The risk is an open-ended bill, so ask for an estimate of total hours and a cap in writing.
Offered for clean, uncontested estates. You know the number going in. Confirm exactly what's included — court filing fees, publication, and any contested-matter work are often billed on top.
A handful of states set statutory percentage fees on the gross estate. On a $500,000 estate that can be $10,000 or more, even for routine work — so in those states it's worth asking whether the lawyer will instead work hourly or flat.
On top of the lawyer, plan for court filing fees of $200–$500, publication and certified copies, and sometimes a bond and appraiser. Those are estate costs, not part of the legal fee.
Honest answer: probate can sometimes be done without a lawyer, or with limited help. Consider skipping one if:
Get a lawyer the moment there's a contest, a business, real estate in multiple states, or any sign the heirs will fight. The fee is cheap next to a botched distribution.
Families looking for a probate lawyer start exactly here — "how much does a probate lawyer cost," "probate lawyer near me." They pick the firm that answers the cost question plainly, has recent reviews, and lets them reach a human fast. That's a website and search problem, and it's what we build. Our $249/mo plan is a hand-built site with AI lead capture that books consults after hours; $597/mo adds the monthly SEO engine and lead attribution so you rank for these terms; the firm tier is from $1,750/mo. Month-to-month, you own everything, and we build a free demo in 48 hours.
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$150–$450/hour, a flat $2,500–$7,000 for simple estates, or 2%–5% of the estate where statutes set percentage fees. Typical totals run $3,000–$10,000.
The estate, not the executor personally. Attorney fees come out of estate assets before heirs are paid, so beneficiaries effectively share it.
No. Small estates, assets that pass by trust or beneficiary designation, and clean uncontested cases can sometimes proceed without a lawyer or with limited help.
Will contests, real estate or a business, out-of-state property, creditor disputes, and missing documents all add hours. A clean, well-documented estate is the cheapest.
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