Probate costs vary widely depending on the size and complexity of the estate, but families should expect several categories of expense.
Court filing fees are relatively modest, typically a few hundred dollars. Attorney’s fees make up the largest cost in most cases. Florida law allows for “reasonable” attorney fees, and while there are statutory guidelines based on estate value, fees can also be negotiated as flat rates or hourly billing depending on the case.
Other potential costs include appraisal fees for real estate or valuable personal property, accounting fees, and publication costs for the required creditor notice.
As a rough guideline, total probate costs (court plus attorney fees) often range from a few thousand dollars for simpler estates to tens of thousands for larger or contested ones.
These costs come out of the estate before assets are distributed to beneficiaries, meaning less ultimately passes to your family.
This is a major reason many people pursue probate-avoidance strategies, like trusts, during their lifetime. While there’s an upfront cost to set up a trust, it can save significantly more in court and legal costs down the road — especially for larger estates.
