How much does probate cost in Arkansas?
19 Jul 2026
Arkansas puts the estate attorney’s fee on a six-step schedule: 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 a $500,000 estate that is $14,050.
That schedule applies unless the attorney has contracted otherwise with the personal representative and the heirs, and the court can adjust it either way if it turns out excessive or insufficient. The personal representative is paid separately, under a cap of 10% / 5% / 3%. It costs $150 to open the case.
Ark. Code Ann. §28-48-108(d)(2) — Code of Arkansas Public Access · 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 §28-48-108 schedule to the value you enter and shows the working, with the statute cited underneath.
Enter any estate value and the calculator works the Arkansas 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 Arkansas and to a $500,000 estate.
What each part costs
Every row is one figure, one source, one date. Where Arkansas fixes no price, the row says so instead of guessing.
| Fee | Amount or formula | Set by | Source | Verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Attorney feeOrdinary services | 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. | Statute — default_adjustable | Ark. Code Ann. §28-48-108(d)(2) | 19 Jul 2026 |
| Personal representative feeThe executor or administrator | Not to exceed 10% · 5% · 3%A just and reasonable amount, capped at 10% of the first $1,000, 5% of the next $4,000 and 3% of the balance of the personal property administered. | Statute — maximum | Ark. Code Ann. §28-48-108(a) | 19 Jul 2026 |
| Court filing feeOpening a circuit court case | $150One uniform fee to start a cause of action in circuit court, which is the court that handles probate. | Statute, uniform statewide | Ark. Code Ann. §21-6-403(b)(1) | 20 Jul 2026 |
| Newspaper publicationNotice of appointment | Not fixed by statuteThe law sets how the notice is published, not its price. Where the estate is worth $1,000 or less excluding the homestead, notice may instead be posted at the courthouse for three weeks, at no charge. | The newspaper | Ark. Code Ann. §28-40-111(a)(1), read with §28-1-112(b)(4) | 23 Jul 2026 |
| BondPersonal representative’s bond | Discretionary, and mandatory on demandWhere a claimant or interested person files a written demand, the court must either order a bond immediately or hold a hearing at the earliest reasonable date. Absent a demand the timing is the court’s, before letters issue or later. | Discretionary — mandatory on demand | Ark. Code Ann. §28-48-201, read with §28-48-206 | 23 Jul 2026 |
Finding these sections yourself. Arkansas publishes its code through a portal that issues links which expire, so every Arkansas citation here points at the portal’s entry page. From there: Title 28 > Subtitle 4 > Chapter 48 > Subchapter 1 > 28-48-108 for the fees, and Title 21 > Chapter 6 > Subchapter 4 > 21-6-403 for the filing fee.
What changes YOUR number in Arkansas
- Two schedules, two different bases
- The attorney schedule is charged on the total market value of the real and personal property reportable in the circuit court. The personal representative’s cap is charged only on personal property that passes through their hands, and only on property fully administered. The two figures are not the same and should never be added from the same base.
- The attorney schedule can move either way
- It applies unless the attorney has contracted otherwise with the personal representative and the heirs. The court may also adjust the fee up or down where the schedule produces an amount that is excessive or insufficient, under subdivision (d)(3).
- The executor figure is a ceiling
- §28-48-108(a) sets what the court may allow, not what it must. The court decides what is just and reasonable within that cap.
- Whether a bond is needed
- A bond is not automatic in Arkansas. But a creditor or anyone with an interest in the estate can force the question in writing, and the court must then act. §28-48-206 covers dispensing with a bond where the will directs it or the fiduciary is FDIC-insured. The premium itself is a private surety rate, not a figure set by law.
- Very small estates skip the newspaper
- Where the estate is worth $1,000 or less excluding the homestead, notice can be posted at the courthouse for three weeks instead of published. Otherwise the newspaper sets its own charge, so it varies by county and by paper.
- The filing fee is the same everywhere
- $150 statewide. A county may not add filing fees beyond those §21-6-403 authorises.
Estates of $100,000 or less can be collected by affidavit
An Arkansas estate worth $100,000 or less — measured after encumbrances, and not counting the homestead or the statutory allowances for a spouse or minor children — can be collected by affidavit 45 days after the death, with no personal representative appointed.
- Limit $100,000, measured after encumbrances.
- 45-day wait, and no petition for a personal representative pending or granted.
- Affidavit filed with the probate clerk of the circuit court: $25 filing fee, plus $5 for each certified copy.
- Where the estate includes real property, notice of death must be published within 30 days of filing, and creditors then have three months to claim.
Ark. Code Ann. §28-41-101(a)(1)(C)(i) — Code of Arkansas Public Access (Title 28 > Subtitle 4 > Chapter 41 > 28-41-101) · 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
Arkansas probate cost questions
How much does a probate attorney cost in Arkansas?
§28-48-108(d)(2) sets a six-step schedule: 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 a $500,000 estate that is $14,050. It applies unless the attorney has contracted otherwise with the personal representative and the heirs, and the court can adjust it up or down.
How much does the executor get paid in Arkansas?
Whatever the court finds just and reasonable, capped at 10% of the first $1,000, 5% of the next $4,000 and 3% of the balance. The cap is charged on the personal property administered, not on the whole estate.
What does it cost to open a probate case in Arkansas?
$150. It is one uniform fee to start a case in circuit court, and a county may not add filing fees beyond those the statute authorises.
Is a bond required in Arkansas probate?
Not automatically. The court may require one. But if a claimant or interested person files a written demand, the court must either order a bond immediately or hold a hearing at the earliest reasonable date.
Can a small estate avoid probate in Arkansas?
An estate worth $100,000 or less after encumbrances, excluding the homestead and the statutory allowances, can be collected by affidavit 45 days after the death.
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 — Ark. Code Ann. §28-48-108(d)(2)Verified 19 Jul 2026 · annual statutory re-check
- Personal representative fee — Ark. Code Ann. §28-48-108(a)Verified 19 Jul 2026 · annual statutory re-check
- Court filing fee — Ark. Code Ann. §21-6-403(b)(1)Verified 20 Jul 2026 · annual statutory re-check
- Small-estate threshold — Ark. Code Ann. §28-41-101(a)(1)(C)(i)Verified 20 Jul 2026 · annual statutory re-check
- Publication — Ark. Code Ann. §28-40-111, read with §28-1-112(b)(4)Verified 23 Jul 2026 · annual statutory re-check
- Bond — Ark. Code Ann. §28-48-201, read with §28-48-206Verified 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 Arkansas. Full terms: /disclaimer/
Every state, one standard: How much does probate cost? →
Nearby and often compared: California, Iowa, Missouri 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.