The figures on this page are general estimates. Laws, fees, thresholds, and prices differ by state and change often, and your own situation may change the result. Before you act, confirm the current numbers and rules for Georgia with a licensed professional — an attorney, tax advisor, or licensed agent as appropriate. Reading this page does not create a professional relationship.
This page is built to print. Use your browser's Print command and choose "Save as PDF" for a one-page Georgia reference. Every figure below is compiled from the statutes and state authorities listed at the bottom — the same sources cited on our Georgia probate pages.
Georgia probate fees
| Item | Georgia |
|---|---|
| Court filing fee | Set locally under O.C.G.A. §15-9-60. The Petition to Probate Will in Solemn Form fee is set by each county; we found no published statewide figure as of September 2026. The required four-week newspaper publication is billed by the newspaper and certified-mail service by the postal rate; we found no published statewide figure for either. Add the cost of service on each heir/beneficiary. Not read at the primary source: the only source previously cited for this field was a commercial reproduction of the Georgia code, and Georgia law cannot be read at a primary source from the environment this page was checked in. This field is recorded as unverified. |
| Attorney fees | Georgia has no statute setting attorney fees for probate. Lawyers charge an hourly rate or a negotiated flat fee; fees must be 'reasonable' under Georgia Rule of Professional Conduct 1.5. Fees paid from estate assets are subject to probate court review. |
| Executor / personal representative fees | No Georgia figure is stated in this field. The governing provision is O.C.G.A. §53-6-60.. The figure previously stated here was never verified against a statute or an independent publisher: its only source was a commercial reproduction of the code, and Georgia law cannot be read at a primary source from the environment this page was checked in. It is recorded in data/withdrawn-figures.json as ga-executor-fee-rule, so it cannot return to any page without failing the build. |
| Fee basis | statutory |
| Appraisal / referee | Georgia does not use a state-appointed probate referee or appraiser. The personal representative is responsible for inventorying and valuing estate assets (and may hire private appraisers when needed). Inventory and appraisement can be waived by the will or by beneficiary consent. |
Worked example
On a Georgia estate where $500,000 in cash flows in and back out, the statutory commission is about $25,000 (2.5% received + 2.5% disbursed). In practice the figure depends on how much actually passes as cash; property handed out in kind is compensated separately at up to 3%.
Georgia thresholds and deadlines
| Item | Georgia |
|---|---|
| Small-estate threshold | Georgia has no dollar-threshold small-estate affidavit. Instead it offers two alternatives: (1) 'Year's Support' under O.C.G.A. §53-3-1 et seq., which lets a surviving spouse and/or minor children petition to set aside estate property (with no statutory cap) for their 12-month support — the award has priority over creditors and beneficiaries; and (2) 'No Administration Necessary' under O.C.G.A. §53-2-40 through 53-2-42, available when the decedent died intestate, all heirs agree in a signed/notarized division, and the estate owes no debts (or all creditors consent). |
| Creditor claim period | Three months from the date of publication of the personal representative's LAST notice, not the first: the notice runs once a week for four weeks and must be published within 60 days of qualification (O.C.G.A. §53-7-41(a)-(b)). Missing it is not a bar. Under §53-7-41(d) a creditor who comes in late loses the right to equal participation with creditors of the same priority who were already paid, and cannot hold the personal representative liable for misappropriation, but if assets remain and no higher-priority claims are unpaid those assets are still applied to the debt. |
| Statutory floor (creditor period) | Three months from the date of publication of the personal representative's LAST notice, not the first: the notice runs once a week for four weeks and must be published within 60 days of qualification (O.C.G.A. §53-7-41(a)-(b)). Missing it is not a bar. Under §53-7-41(d) a creditor who comes in late loses the right to equal participation with creditors of the same priority who were already paid, and cannot hold the personal representative liable for misappropriation, but if assets remain and no higher-priority claims are unpaid those assets are still applied to the debt. |
| Simplified real-property transfer | Real property passes by operation of law to heirs (intestate) or devisees (testate) at the moment of death, subject to administration. Title can be cleared without full administration via Year's Support, a No Administration Necessary order, or by recording the probated will and an affidavit of descent. |
| Transfer-on-death deed | Georgia does NOT have a statutory transfer-on-death deed for real estate. Georgia residents who want to pass real estate outside probate typically use a revocable living trust, Year's Support, or joint ownership. |
What passes outside Georgia probate
These transfers are not part of the estate the fees above are calculated on:
- Beneficiary designations — retirement accounts, life insurance, payable-on-death accounts.
- Joint ownership with right of survivorship.
- Transfer-on-death deed — Georgia does NOT have a statutory transfer-on-death deed for real estate. Georgia residents who want to pass real estate outside probate typically use a revocable living trust, Year's Support, or joint ownership.
- Assets titled into a funded living trust.
Sources for this sheet
- Statutes: O.C.G.A. §53-6-60; O.C.G.A. §53-6-61; O.C.G.A. §15-9-60; O.C.G.A. §53-3-1; O.C.G.A. §53-2-40; O.C.G.A. §53-2-42; O.C.G.A. §53-7-41
- State authority: Georgia Council of Probate Court Judges (gaprobate.gov)
Compiled August 15, 2026 from the sources listed above. Fee schedules, thresholds, and court costs are amended by legislatures and courts — confirm each figure against the cited statute or the Georgia court before relying on it.
The full Georgia guides
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How Much Does Probate Cost in Georgia? — the full cost breakdown.
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How Much Does an Executor Get Paid in Georgia? — the fee rule in detail.
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How Long Does Probate Take in Georgia? — the timeline and its statutory floor.
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How to Avoid Probate in Georgia — the transfers that pass outside it.
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How Much Does a Will Cost in Georgia? — execution requirements and pricing.
Fee sheets for other states
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This sheet sets out Georgia probate figures as published at the time of compilation. It is not legal advice. Figures and statutes change and their application depends on the specific estate. Confirm current figures with the Georgia courts or a licensed Georgia attorney.