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 Vermont 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 Vermont reference. Every figure below is compiled from the statutes and state authorities listed at the bottom — the same sources cited on our Vermont probate pages.
Vermont probate fees
| Item | Vermont |
|---|---|
| Court filing fee | 32 V.S.A. §1434(a) sets the Probate Division entry fee by estate value: $50 for estates of $10,000 or less; $110 for more than $10,000 to not more than $50,000; $265 for more than $50,000 to not more than $150,000; $500 for more than $150,000 to not more than $500,000; $1,000 for more than $500,000 to not more than $1,000,000; $1,750 for more than $1,000,000 to not more than $5,000,000; $2,500 for more than $5,000,000 to not more than $10,000,000; and $3,250 for estates of more than $10,000,000. The subsection directs those fees to the State, except for subdivisions (18) and (19), which are for the benefit of the county in which the fee was collected. |
| Attorney fees | Not statutory. There is no percentage-of-estate schedule in Vermont. |
| Executor / personal representative fees | 14 V.S.A. §1065 provides in full: "An executor or administrator shall be allowed necessary expenses in the care, management, and settlement of the estate and reasonable fees for services. When, by will, the deceased makes some other provisions for compensation to the executor, that shall be a full satisfaction for his or her services, unless, by a written instrument filed in the Probate Division of the Superior Court, the executor renounces all claim to the compensation provided by the will, or unless otherwise ordered by the court." There is no percentage schedule. Amended 2009, No. 154 (Adj. Sess.), §238a, eff. Feb. 1, 2011; 2017, No. 195 (Adj. Sess.), §6. |
| Fee basis | reasonable |
| Appraisal / referee | Not used. Vermont does not appoint a state appraiser. The executor must file an inventory and appraisal of estate assets with the Probate Division under 14 V.S.A. Chapter 63. |
Worked example
Vermont sets no statutory number for a personal representative's fee. Under 14 V.S.A. §1065 the allowance is necessary expenses plus reasonable fees for services, and where the will provides its own compensation that provision governs unless renounced by a filed instrument or overridden by the court. No published source is cited here for what a reasonable fee works out to on an estate of a given size. The estate's attorney fee is separate.
Vermont thresholds and deadlines
| Item | Vermont |
|---|---|
| Small-estate threshold | Estates with a fair market value of $45,000 or less that consist entirely of personal property (no real estate other than a timeshare) can use Vermont's simplified small-estate procedure under 14 V.S.A. §§ 1901–1902 and Probate Rule 80.3. |
| Creditor claim period | Claims that arose before death are barred unless presented within four months after the first publication of the notice to creditors given under the Rules of Probate Procedure, or within one year after the decedent's death where notice has not been published or otherwise given, under 14 V.S.A. §1203(a). Claims barred by the nonclaim statute of the decedent's domicile before the first publication for claims in this State are also barred here. Claims for possession of or title to real estate, and claims for injury to the person or damage to property caused by the decedent, sit outside that bar; claims the State files on behalf of Vermont Medicaid run on the same four months regardless of the date of death or when the estate was opened (§1203(d)). 14 V.S.A. §1201 lets the Probate Division excuse notice to creditors in limited cases. |
| Statutory floor (creditor period) | Claims that arose before death are barred unless presented within four months after the first publication of the notice to creditors given under the Rules of Probate Procedure, or within one year after the decedent's death where notice has not been published or otherwise given, under 14 V.S.A. §1203(a). Claims barred by the nonclaim statute of the decedent's domicile before the first publication for claims in this State are also barred here. Claims for possession of or title to real estate, and claims for injury to the person or damage to property caused by the decedent, sit outside that bar; claims the State files on behalf of Vermont Medicaid run on the same four months regardless of the date of death or when the estate was opened (§1203(d)). 14 V.S.A. §1201 lets the Probate Division excuse notice to creditors in limited cases. |
| Transfer-on-death deed | Vermont does not currently authorize a transfer-on-death (beneficiary) deed for real estate — it has not adopted the Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act. Vermont does recognize enhanced life estate ('lady bird') deeds and allows TOD registration of securities and bank accounts, but solely owned real property generally must pass through probate or a living trust. |
What passes outside Vermont 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 — Vermont does not currently authorize a transfer-on-death (beneficiary) deed for real estate — it has not adopted the Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act. Vermont does recognize enhanced life estate ('lady bird') deeds and allows TOD registration of securities and bank accounts, but solely owned real property generally must pass through probate or a living trust.
- Assets titled into a funded living trust.
Sources for this sheet
- Statutes: 14 V.S.A. § 1065; 14 V.S.A. § 1901; 14 V.S.A. § 1902; 14 V.S.A. § 1201; 14 V.S.A. § 1203; 32 V.S.A. § 1434
- State authority: Vermont Statutes Online (legislature.vermont.gov)
- Small-estate procedure: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/14/081/01901
- Creditor claim period: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/14/066/01203
- Executor fees: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/14/063/01065
- Court filing fees: https://legislature.vermont.gov/statutes/section/32/017/01434
- Transfers outside probate: https://tax.vermont.gov/individuals/estate-tax
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 Vermont court before relying on it.
The full Vermont guides
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How Much Does Probate Cost in Vermont? — the full cost breakdown.
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How Much Does an Executor Get Paid in Vermont? — the fee rule in detail.
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How Long Does Probate Take in Vermont? — the timeline and its statutory floor.
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How to Avoid Probate in Vermont — the transfers that pass outside it.
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How Much Does a Will Cost in Vermont? — execution requirements and pricing.
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This sheet sets out Vermont 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 Vermont courts or a licensed Vermont attorney.