Estate Settlement Cost Calculator

Estimate total estate administration costs including attorney, executor, court, and accounting fees.

Legal Disclaimer

This calculator provides general estimates only and does not constitute legal advice. Laws, regulations, and court procedures vary significantly by jurisdiction. Consult a licensed attorney in your area for advice specific to your situation.

Inputs

Estate Value

Complexity (1=Simple, 2=Moderate, 3=Complex)

Is Contested (1=Yes, 0=No)

Includes Real Estate (1=Yes, 0=No)

Number of States

Tab to move between fields

Results

Total Settlement Cost

$118,100.00

≈ 8 used cars

Cost as % of Estate5.9%

Attorney Fees$70,000.00

Executor Fees$40,000.00

Court Filing Fees$600.00

Accounting Fees$7,000.00

Appraisal Costs$500.00

Litigation Costs$0.00

Ancillary Probate Cost$0.00

How to Use This Calculator

Enter Estate Value — total gross assets before liabilities.
Set Complexity (Simple, Moderate, Complex) and indicate if the estate is Contested.
Indicate if Real Estate is included and Number of States with property (ancillary probate).
Review Total Settlement Cost and Cost as % of Estate.
Attorney fees for probate are often statutory (e.g. 4% of first $100K in California) — verify your state's rules.
Well-organized estates with a revocable living trust can avoid probate and reduce settlement costs significantly.

How the result changes with Estate Value

Estate Value	Total Settlement Cost
$5,000,000.00	$292,500.00
$17,500,000.00	$1,017,500.00
$32,500,000.00	$1,887,500.00
$45,000,000.00	$2,612,500.00

What each input means

Estate Value: Total gross value of the estate.
Complexity (1=Simple, 2=Moderate, 3=Complex): Estate complexity: 1=Simple (few assets), 2=Moderate, 3=Complex (business interests, trusts).
Is Contested (1=Yes, 0=No): Whether the estate is subject to legal challenges.
Includes Real Estate (1=Yes, 0=No): Whether the estate includes real property.
Number of States: Number of states where property is held (ancillary probate).

How this is calculated

Worked example, using the default values

Identify Input Parameters
4 parameters
Estate Value = 2000000, Complexity (1=Simple, 2=Moderate, 3=Complex) = 2, Is Contested (1=Yes, 0=No) = 0, Includes Real Estate (1=Yes, 0=No) = 1 = 5 input(s) provided
Calculate Total Settlement Cost
Total Settlement Cost
118100 = $118,100
Calculate Attorney Fees
Attorney Fees
70000 = $70,000

Engine last updated July 11, 2026.

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