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 Tennessee 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 Tennessee reference. Every figure below is compiled from the statutes and state authorities listed at the bottom — the same sources cited on our Tennessee probate pages.
Tennessee probate fees
| Item | Tennessee |
|---|---|
| Attorney fees | Not statutory. Tennessee attorneys charge a flat fee or bill by the hour, and the court must approve the fee as reasonable under Tenn. Code Ann. §30-2-606. |
| Executor / personal representative fees | Reasonable compensation, not a fixed percentage — Tennessee courts set it case by case under Tenn. Code Ann. §30-2-606 (a percentage-of-estate rule is expressly disfavored). |
| Fee basis | reasonable |
| Appraisal / referee | Not used. Tennessee does not appoint a state appraiser or referee. The personal representative must file an inventory of estate assets within 60 days under Tenn. Code Ann. §30-2-301, unless the will or all beneficiaries waive it. |
Worked example
Tennessee sets no statutory number: the court reviews the actual work done and approves a reasonable amount, which is larger where there was litigation, a business, or real estate to sell. We found no named, dated published source for what is approved in practice, so no figure is stated here. The estate's attorney fee is separate.
Tennessee thresholds and deadlines
| Item | Tennessee |
|---|---|
| Small-estate threshold | Estates of $50,000 or less (excluding real property) can use a small-estate affidavit under Tennessee's Small Estate Probate Act, Tenn. Code Ann. §30-4-101 et seq. The affidavit may be filed 45 days after death once no full administration has begun. |
| Creditor claim period | No Tennessee figure is stated in this field. The governing provision is §30-2-306, §30-2-307. 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 Tennessee 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 It is recorded in data/withdrawn-figures.json as tn-creditor-claim-period, so it cannot return to any page without failing the build. |
| Statutory floor (creditor period) | No Tennessee figure is stated in this field. The governing provision is §30-2-306, §30-2-307. 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 Tennessee 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 tn-creditor-claim-period, so it cannot return to any page without failing the build. |
| Transfer-on-death deed | No transfer-on-death deed statute for real property was found in the Tennessee statutes, and no source publishing one is cited here. The Tennessee statutes could not be read at a primary source from the environment this page was checked in, and the only source previously cited for this field was a commercial reproduction of the code. |
What passes outside Tennessee 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 — No transfer-on-death deed statute for real property was found in the Tennessee statutes, and no source publishing one is cited here. The Tennessee statutes could not be read at a primary source from the environment this page was checked in, and the only source previously cited for this field was a commercial reproduction of the code.
- Assets titled into a funded living trust.
Sources for this sheet
- Statutes: Tenn. Code Ann. §30-4-101 et seq. (Small Estate Probate Act); Tenn. Code Ann. §30-2-306 (notice to creditors); Tenn. Code Ann. §30-2-307 (claims against estate); Tenn. Code Ann. §30-2-606 (personal representative compensation); Tenn. Code Ann. §30-2-301 (inventory)
- State authority: Tennessee Code (Justia) / Tennessee courts
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 Tennessee court before relying on it.
The full Tennessee guides
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How Much Does Probate Cost in Tennessee? — the full cost breakdown.
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How Much Does an Executor Get Paid in Tennessee? — the fee rule in detail.
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How Long Does Probate Take in Tennessee? — the timeline and its statutory floor.
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How to Avoid Probate in Tennessee — the transfers that pass outside it.
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How Much Does a Will Cost in Tennessee? — execution requirements and pricing.
Fee sheets for other states
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This sheet sets out Tennessee 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 Tennessee courts or a licensed Tennessee attorney.