Probate cost in Pennsylvania
In Pennsylvania, estates up to $50,000 can often skip full probate. For a $300,000 estate, the court fee is set by each county.
Pennsylvania's small estate limit is $50,000. 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 Pennsylvania
- Small estate limit: $50,000 (Settlement of small estates on petition, 20 Pa.C.S. 3102 (Pa. O.C. Rule 5.50)). Does not cover real estate. Read on a Wayback copy (Dec 2019) of 20 Pa.C.S. 3102: property of gross value up to $50,000, not counting real estate or payments under section 3101, but counting personal property claimed as the family exemption. Petition to the orphans' court division. Raised from $25,000 by Act 35 of 2013 (history line on the page). No waiting period in the text. Source
- Court fee: Set by each county. Register of Wills fees are set by each county. No example county fee was read.
- Attorney fee: No legal schedule: set by agreement or the court. No statutory schedule known. Not verified against official text.
- Executor fee: No legal schedule: set by agreement or the court. Personal representative gets just and reasonable compensation set by the court (believed 20 Pa.C.S. 3537). Not verified.
Some Pennsylvania 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.