The probate process has many different types of fees involved. Here is a basic rundown of the fees that can be expected:
- Petition filing fees – $465 each for the petitions to open and close the probate
- Publication fee – usually between $200 and $1000
- Bond fee – highly variable because it depends on the size of the estate and if the estate representative has full or limited authority over the estate assets; anywhere from a few hundred to a few thousand dollars
- Probate Referee fee (estate appraisal) – 0.1% of the total value of the gross probate estate
- Attorney fee – based on the value of the gross estate. This fee is set by statute (see the table)
- Representative compensation – the executor/administrator is entitled to the same compensation as the attorney (see the table)
Size of the Estate |
California Statutory Probate Fees |
| $ 100,000 | $ 4,000 |
| $ 200,000 | $ 7,000 |
| $ 300,000 | $ 9,000 |
| $ 400,000 | $ 11,000 |
| $ 500,000 | $ 13,000 |
| $ 600,000 | $ 15,000 |
| $ 700,000 | $ 17,000 |
| $ 800,000 | $ 19,000 |
| $ 900,000 | $ 21,000 |
| $ 1 Million | $ 23,000 |
| $ 2 Million | $ 33,000 |
| $ 3 Million | $ 43,000 |