Probate cost in Illinois
In Illinois, estates up to $150,000 can often skip full probate. For a $300,000 estate, the court fee is set by each county.
Illinois's small estate limit is $150,000. Above it, the estate usually goes through probate.
- Court fee to open probatevaries by county
- Attorney feeNo legal schedule: set by agreement or the courtset by agreement
- Executor feeNo legal schedule: set by agreement or the courtset by agreement
Probate total$0+
The total leaves out the costs shown without a number.
- Quicken WillMaker & Trust Plus sourceOne-time price for one person$149
- Yearly feeoptional yearly renewal$40
- Moving a home into the trustSet by your county recordercounty recording fee
Trust total$149+
Assets left outside the trust can still need probate.
Probate cost by estate size
| Estate value | Court fee | Attorney (law) | Executor (law) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | not set by law | not set by law | not set by law | $0+ |
| $250,000 | not set by law | not set by law | not set by law | $0+ |
| $500,000 | not set by law | not set by law | not set by law | $0+ |
| $1,000,000 | not set by law | not set by law | not set by law | $0+ |
"Not set by law" means the fee is agreed with the lawyer or set by the court, so it is not in the total. Use your own numbers.
The rules in Illinois
- Small estate limit: $150,000 (Small estate affidavit (755 ILCS 5/25-1)). Does not cover real estate. Personal property only. Limit is $150,000 of tangible and intangible personal property, excluding motor vehicles registered with the Secretary of State. Raised from $100,000 by P.A. 104-346, effective 8-15-2025. Not indexed. Read from the 2026 Wayback copy in the first pass; not re-checked in this pass. Source
- Simplified probate: Summary administration (755 ILCS 5/9-8).
- Court fee: Set by each county. Probate filing fees are set by each county circuit clerk. No county example was verified.
- Attorney fee: No legal schedule: set by agreement or the court. No statutory schedule is known (755 ILCS 5/27-2). Not verified against statute text.
- Executor fee: No legal schedule: set by agreement or the court. No statutory schedule is known (755 ILCS 5/27-1). Not verified against statute text.
Some Illinois rules could not be checked on a current official page. Each rule links to the source we used. Confirm with the court or a lawyer before you rely on it.
General information from official state sources, not legal advice.