Probate cost in North Carolina
In North Carolina, estates up to $20,000 can often skip full probate. For a $300,000 estate, the court fee is $1,320.
North Carolina's small estate limit is $20,000. Above it, the estate usually goes through probate.
- Court fee to open probate source$1,320
- Attorney feeNo legal schedule: set by agreement or the courtset by agreement
- Executor fee sourceLegal maximum: the real fee can be lower$15,000
Probate totalup to $16,320+
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 | $520 | not set by law | $5,000 | up to $5,520+ |
| $250,000 | $1,120 | not set by law | $12,500 | up to $13,620+ |
| $500,000 | $2,120 | not set by law | $25,000 | up to $27,120+ |
| $1,000,000 | $4,120 | not set by law | $50,000 | up to $54,120+ |
"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 North Carolina
- Small estate limit: $20,000 (Collection of personal property by affidavit, G.S. 28A-25-1 (intestate) and 28A-25-1.1 (testate)). Does not cover real estate. Heirs wait 30 days after the death. Read on a Wayback copy (June 2026) of G.S. 28A-25-1: personal property, less liens, not more than $20,000; affidavit allowed 30 days after death; no personal representative application pending or granted. If the surviving spouse is the sole heir, up to $30,000 after the spousal allowance. Real property is only listed in the affidavit, not transferred. The testate section 28A-25-1.1 was not read. Source
- Simplified probate: Summary administration for a surviving spouse who is the sole heir or devisee (G.S. 28A-28-1 to 28A-28-7). Source
- Court fee: $1,320 for a $300,000 estate. Read on a Wayback copy (Aug 2026) of G.S. 7A-307(a): $120 at opening ($106 General Court of Justice + $10 facilities + $4 telecom) plus 40 cents per $100 (or major fraction) of the gross estate, not more than $6,000, computed from the inventory. Both parts are always charged in an administration. Gross estate = personal property at value when received plus proceeds of real estate sold; real estate that is not sold is excluded, so the $1,320 for $300,000 assumes the whole estate is personal property. The text can be read as capping the 40-cent part at $6,000 (reached at $1.5 million); bands use that reading. Collection by affidavit pays the same fees. Source
- Attorney fee: No legal schedule: set by agreement or the court. Clerk may allow reasonable attorney fees (G.S. 28A-23-4). Not verified against official text.
- Executor fee: Legal maximum: the real fee can be lower. Read on a Wayback copy (June 2025) of G.S. 28A-23-3: commission fixed by the clerk, not more than 5% of receipts and expenditures. The clerk may weigh attorney and accountant fees paid by the estate. Where real property is sold to pay debts or devises, only the proceeds applied count. For estates of $2,000 or less the clerk sets a just amount. Does not apply when the will sets the compensation. Source
General information from official state sources, not legal advice.