# reasonable cost for probate?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasonable-cost-for-probate/832798>\
**Category:** In My Humble Opinion\
**Created:** [April 20, 2019, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasonable-cost-for-probate/832798 "2019-04-20T02:39:48Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Sigene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/df788c/32.png) [@Sigene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigene)\
**Post date:** [April 20, 2019, 2:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasonable-cost-for-probate/832798/1 "2019-04-20T02:39:48Z")

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I think Humble Opinions are the best forum for this. I’m aware of a recent case (a coworker)where the decedent has about $60K in a savings account intended to go to the heirs. It wasn’t POD or whatever…it looks like it has to go to probate, and is the only property to speak of. A lawyer is asking for $4500 to do the probate. There are 3 heirs and I don’t think there are any odd or complicating factors.

Is $4500 a reasonable rate. This is in KC Kansas.

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**Author:** ![Dereknocue67](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/6de8d8/32.png) [@Dereknocue67](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dereknocue67)\
**Post date:** [April 21, 2019, 8:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/reasonable-cost-for-probate/832798/2 "2019-04-21T08:25:21Z")

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I was Executor for my mother’s estate valued at about $400K in Virginia. Total Probate fees here were about $500 and I handled everything myself. Had I wanted to, I could have paid myself an Executor fee of 5% of the total estate value or about $20,000. In your scenario, using the 5% formula would give the lawyer $3,000 plus whatever the KC probate costs may be.

Food for thought.