FAQ Friday: What are the costs of probate?

On Friday, December 3rd at 11 a.m. EST, Mr. Berger describes the detailed costs and fees associated with the probate process.

A lot of people think probate is very expensive. We are going to discuss an example of a second to die couple with a gross estate of $2 Million.

The only items that go through probate are those don’t have a beneficiary designation. The court will first ask for a bond for a value the register of wills deems cover the fees they will need to process.

Additional fees include filing fees, taxes, attorney fees, appraisals if property is part of the probate process.

The estate can typically write off 3 months of expenses. Trusts can be an alternative to probate and it can be complicated which could help having someone to guide you.

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Bring your questions about estate planning and administration to our weekly Facebook Live with Mr. Berger on Fridays at 11am EST. Leave your email if you’d like to receive a notification of our response.