Missouri probate fees: how much does probate cost?
19 Jul 2026
Missouri publishes a fee schedule for the estate’s attorney and for the personal representative: 5% of the first $5,000, 4% of the next $20,000, 3% of the next $75,000, 2.75% of the next $300,000, 2.5% of the next $600,000 and 2% above $1 million. On $500,000 of personal property administered — the value the schedule is charged on — that is $14,050 each.
That schedule is a floor, not a cap — the court must allow more where it is not reasonable compensation. It is charged on the personal property administered plus the proceeds of any real property sold under court order, not on everything the estate owns. Court costs to open the estate run from $75 to $365, by size.
RSMo §473.153 — Missouri Revisor of Statutes · Verified 19 Jul 2026
Informational only, not legal advice. Figures verified on the date stamped. Details: /disclaimer/
Work it out on your own number
The calculator applies the §473.153 schedule to the value you enter and shows the working, with the statute cited underneath.
Enter any estate value and the calculator works the Missouri schedule to the dollar, with the statute cited under the result and the verification date stamped on it. It opens on the calculator page, already set to Missouri and to a $500,000 estate.
What each part costs
Every row is one figure, one source, one date. Where Missouri fixes no price, the row says so instead of guessing.
| Fee | Amount or formula | Set by | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attorney feeMinimum compensation | 5% · 4% · 3% · 2.75% · 2.5% · 2%5% of the first $5,000, 4% of the next $20,000, 3% of the next $75,000, 2.75% of the next $300,000, 2.5% of the next $600,000, 2% of everything above $1,000,000. The court must allow more where that figure is not reasonable. | Statute — minimum | RSMo §473.153.3 | 19 Jul 2026 |
| Personal representative feeThe executor or administrator | The identical scheduleThe personal representative is paid on the same tiers as the attorney, also as a minimum the court can exceed. | Statute — minimum | RSMo §473.153.1 | 19 Jul 2026 |
| Court costsCharged when letters are applied for | $75 to $365Rises with the size of the estate, from $75 under $10,000 to $365 over $500,000, plus $30 for each additional twelve months the estate stays open. Full bands below. | Statute, subject to adjustment | RSMo §488.012.3(16) | 20 Jul 2026 |
| Newspaper publicationNotice of letters | Not fixed by statuteThe law sets the schedule, not the price: the clerk publishes the notice once a week for four consecutive weeks. The newspaper sets its own charge. | The newspaper | RSMo §473.033 | 23 Jul 2026 |
| BondPersonal representative’s bond | No formulaThe bond is procured at the expense of the estate, so the premium does not come out of the executor’s own pocket. §473.160 sets out when no bond is required. | Court’s discretion | RSMo §473.157 | 23 Jul 2026 |
These are the figures the statute prints. §488.012.2 lets the Supreme Court of Missouri adjust these amounts, and subsection 3 is headed “prior to adjustment”. This page gives you the statutory schedule, not a promise of what the clerk collects today. The newspaper charge also varies by county and by paper.
What changes YOUR number in Missouri
- The schedule is a floor, not a ceiling
- §473.153 sets minimum compensation. Where reasonable compensation for the work done is more than the schedule produces, the court must allow more. A Missouri estate can therefore cost more than the percentages suggest, but not less.
- What the percentages are charged on
- The personal property administered, plus the proceeds of any real property sold under court order. Real estate that passes to the family without a court-ordered sale is not in the base — which is why the Missouri number is often smaller than the estate’s headline value.
- How the $14,050 is worked out
- On $500,000 of personal property administered, the schedule is applied band by band, and the same total is due to the attorney and to the personal representative.
The court must allow more where the schedule is not reasonable compensation for the work actually done.5% of $5,000 $250 4% of $20,000 $800 3% of $75,000 $2,250 2.75% of $300,000 $8,250 2.5% of $100,000 $2,500 Total on a $500,000 base $14,050 - Court costs by estate size
- Charged when letters are applied for.
Add $30 for each additional twelve months the estate stays open.Under $10,000 $75 $10,000 to $25,000 $115 $25,000 to $50,000 $155 $50,000 to $100,000 $245 $100,000 to $500,000 $305 Over $500,000 $365 - How long the estate stays open
- The four-week notice of letters starts the six-month period in which creditors must bring claims, and the $30 charge repeats for every extra year of administration.
- Who pays for the bond
- §473.157.1 says the bond is procured at the expense of the estate. The judge or clerk fixes the amount; there is no formula in the statute. The premium itself is a private surety rate, not a figure set by law.
- Who publishes the notice
- In Missouri the clerk causes the notice of letters to be published, once a week for four consecutive weeks. The cost still falls on the estate, but the arranging is not the executor’s job.
Estates of $40,000 or less can be settled by affidavit
A Missouri estate worth $40,000 or less, measured after liens, debts and encumbrances, can be settled by small-estate affidavit 30 days after the death instead of by full administration. It covers both personal and real property.
- Limit $40,000, measured after liens, debts and encumbrances.
- 30-day wait, and no application for letters already pending.
- A bond covering the personal property, unless the court dispenses with it.
- The §483.580 filing fee is paid.
- If the property listed is worth more than $15,000, the clerk must publish notice to creditors once a week for two weeks.
RSMo §473.097.1 — Missouri Revisor of Statutes · Verified 20 Jul 2026. This threshold is a flat statutory figure and is not adjusted for inflation.
Three tools, in the order most people need them
Missouri probate fee questions
How much does a probate attorney cost in Missouri?
§473.153 sets a minimum: 5% of the first $5,000, 4% of the next $20,000, 3% of the next $75,000, 2.75% of the next $300,000, 2.5% of the next $600,000 and 2% above $1 million. On $500,000 of personal property administered, that is $14,050. The court must allow more where the schedule is not reasonable compensation.
Does the personal representative get paid the same?
Yes. The executor or administrator is paid on the identical schedule, also as a statutory minimum the court can exceed.
What are Missouri’s probate court costs?
They rise with the size of the estate: $75 under $10,000, $115 to $25,000, $155 to $50,000, $245 to $100,000, $305 to $500,000, and $365 above $500,000, plus $30 for each additional twelve months the estate stays open. §488.012.2 lets the Supreme Court of Missouri adjust these amounts, so treat them as the statutory schedule rather than today’s cash figure.
Can a small estate skip probate in Missouri?
An estate worth $40,000 or less, after liens, debts and encumbrances, can be settled by small-estate affidavit 30 days after the death, instead of by full administration.
Who pays for the executor’s bond?
The estate. §473.157.1 says the bond is procured at the expense of the estate, and the judge or clerk fixes the amount. §473.160 sets out when no bond is required.
Sources & verification
Every figure on this page was checked against the official source on the date shown. Statutory figures are re-checked annually.
- Attorney fee — RSMo §473.153.3Verified 19 Jul 2026 · annual statutory re-check
- Personal representative fee — RSMo §473.153.1Verified 19 Jul 2026 · annual statutory re-check
- Court costs — RSMo §488.012.3(16)Verified 20 Jul 2026 · re-checked on any adjustment by the Supreme Court of Missouri
- Small-estate threshold — RSMo §473.097.1Verified 20 Jul 2026 · annual statutory re-check
- Publication schedule — RSMo §473.033Verified 23 Jul 2026 · annual statutory re-check
- Bond — RSMo §473.157, read with §473.160Verified 23 Jul 2026 · annual statutory re-check
Researched and verified by John Terra · Methodology
This page is information, not legal advice. Reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws and fee schedules change; every figure here was verified on the date stamped beside it. For advice about your own situation, consult an attorney licensed in Missouri. Full terms: /disclaimer/
Every state, one standard: How much does probate cost? →
Nearby and often compared: Arkansas, California, Iowa and Montana
When a figure changes, know first
Statutes get amended and fee schedules get updated. Once a month, we send a short note listing every figure that changed and every page we re-verified. Reference, not marketing.