Probate Cost & Small-Estate Calculator

See whether an estate qualifies for your state's small-estate shortcut, and estimate court and professional costs if full probate is needed. For the full state-by-state picture, see the probate hub.

State

Estate value (probate assets)

Everything passes to the surviving spouse

Official fees & rules

Small-estate threshold$208,850 personal property; primary residence to $750,000 via DE-310; other real property to $69,625 (deaths on/after 4/1/2025)

Probate opening fee$435

Estimated cost using the small-estate procedure

Low

Typical

$150

High

$435

This estate appears to qualify for the simplified/small-estate route — often little more than a filing fee or a notarized affidavit. Estimates are editorial figures, not quotes or government fees — see how we estimate attorney costs. Official fees verified 2026-08-24 (sources on the state pages). Model probate-cost-v1.0.

Assumptions behind this model

Small-estate thresholds follow each state's current statute (see the state probate pages for sources and property-type rules); the numeric check uses each state's personal-property threshold — California's separate $750,000 primary-residence route (DE-310) and $69,625 small-value real-property affidavit are flagged in the result note.
The California model applies the Probate Code §10800 statutory schedule for both the executor and the attorney; family executors often waive their share.
Other states' professional costs are editorial estimates for routine uncontested estates; litigation, tax work and real-estate sales add cost.
New York's court fee is computed from the SCPA §2402 tier for the selected estate size.

Model probate-cost-v1.0 · Reviewed 2026-08-24 · See our methodology.

LawLintel provides general legal information, not legal advice. Laws, rules, procedures and fees change and can depend on your specific facts and county. Verify important information with the applicable court or a qualified attorney before acting.