A 50-state probate guide

Probate rules, timelines, and thresholds — for every state.

Probate is governed state-by-state. A filing deadline that’s routine in Missouri is a hard miss in California. These guides walk you through the administration types, creditor-notice periods, small-estate thresholds, and statutes that actually apply where the decedent lived.

What each state page covers

We pull directly from our in-house jurisdiction library — the same data that powers our attorney workflow — so every page is current with the actual statutes, not a template.

Administration types

Independent vs. supervised, formal vs. informal, and the circumstances that dictate which path a given estate has to take.

The filing timeline

From petition through final accounting, with deadlines tied to the actual event (death, letters issued, first publication) and statute citations.

Creditor notice rules

Publication frequency, duration, claim window, and the absolute bar date. This is where personal representatives get tripped up.

Small estate thresholds

Current dollar limits, waiting periods, exclusions, and the simplified affidavit path when the estate qualifies.

State-specific wrinkles

Community property treatment, Louisiana forced heirship and usufruct, electronic-will recognition, and state estate or inheritance tax where it applies.

Cost and timing expectations

Court filing fees, publication costs, typical attorney fee ranges, and a realistic minimum-to-close estimate based on the statutory waiting periods.

Every state, every jurisdiction.

50 states plus the District of Columbia. We’re live with attorneys in Missouri and Illinois today — other states link to a waitlist so we can notify you the moment an in-network attorney opens in your jurisdiction.

AlabamaSmall estate: $25,000AlaskaSmall estate: $100,000ArizonaSmall estate: $75,000ArkansasSmall estate: $100,000CaliforniaSmall estate: $184,500ColoradoSmall estate: $74,000ConnecticutSmall estate: $40,000DelawareSmall estate: $30,000Washington, D.C.Small estate: $40,000FloridaSmall estate: $75,000GeorgiaSmall estate: $10,000HawaiiSmall estate: $100,000IdahoSmall estate: $100,000IllinoisSmall estate: $150,000IndianaSmall estate: $50,000IowaSmall estate: $100,000KansasSmall estate: $40,000KentuckySmall estate: $30,000LouisianaSmall estate: $125,000MaineSmall estate: $40,000MarylandSmall estate: $50,000MassachusettsSmall estate: $25,000MichiganSmall estate: $25,000MinnesotaSmall estate: $75,000MississippiSmall estate: $50,000MissouriSmall estate: $40,000MontanaSmall estate: $50,000NebraskaSmall estate: $50,000NevadaSmall estate: $100,000New HampshireSmall estate: $10,000New JerseySmall estate: $50,000New MexicoSmall estate: $50,000New YorkSmall estate: $50,000North CarolinaSmall estate: $20,000North DakotaSmall estate: $50,000OhioSmall estate: $35,000OklahomaSmall estate: $200,000OregonSmall estate: $275,000PennsylvaniaSmall estate: $50,000Rhode IslandSmall estate: $15,000South CarolinaSmall estate: $25,000South DakotaSmall estate: $50,000TennesseeSmall estate: $50,000TexasSmall estate: $75,000UtahSmall estate: $100,000VermontSmall estate: $10,000VirginiaSmall estate: $50,000WashingtonSmall estate: $100,000West VirginiaSmall estate: $100,000WisconsinSmall estate: $50,000WyomingSmall estate: $200,000

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