Probate cost in Maryland
In Maryland, estates up to $50,000 can often skip full probate. For a $300,000 estate, the court fee is $200.
Maryland's small estate limit is $50,000. Above it, the estate usually goes through probate.
- Court fee to open probate source$200
- Attorney fee sourceNo legal schedule: set by agreement or the courtset by agreement
- Executor fee sourceLegal maximum: the real fee can be lower$11,880
Probate totalup to $12,080+
The total leaves out the costs shown without a number.
- Quicken WillMaker & Trust Plus sourceOne-time price for one person$149
- Yearly feeoptional yearly renewal$40
- Moving a home into the trustSet by your county recordercounty recording fee
Trust total$149+
Assets left outside the trust can still need probate.
Probate cost by estate size
| Estate value | Court fee | Attorney (law) | Executor (law) | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $100,000 | $200 | not set by law | $4,680 | up to $4,880+ |
| $250,000 | $200 | not set by law | $10,080 | up to $10,280+ |
| $500,000 | $1,000 | not set by law | $19,080 | up to $20,080+ |
| $1,000,000 | $2,000 | not set by law | $37,080 | up to $39,080+ |
"Not set by law" means the fee is agreed with the lawyer or set by the court, so it is not in the total. Use your own numbers.
The rules in Maryland
- Small estate limit: $50,000 (Small estate administration (petition to the Register of Wills), Estates and Trusts 5-601 to 5-607). Can cover real estate. Limit is $100,000 if the surviving spouse is the sole legatee or heir. Value is Maryland property subject to administration less debts of record secured by it, so real property can count. 5-601 states no waiting period. This is a short court-supervised administration, not a pure affidavit. Not re-read in the v3 pass. Source
- Simplified probate: Modified administration (Estates and Trusts 5-701 et seq.). Source
- Court fee: $200 for a $300,000 estate. Probate fee set by value of the probate estate (2-206(b)(2)). Bands: under $50,000 $0; $50,000 to under $100,000 $100; $100,000 to under $500,000 $200; $500,000 to under $1M $1,000; $1M to under $2.5M $2,000; $2.5M to under $5M $5,000; $5M to under $7.5M $7,500; $7.5M to under $10M $10,000; $10M or more $10,000 plus 0.02% of the excess over $10M (stored as fee 8000 + 0.0002 x value). The fee is set from the administration accounts, so it is paid during administration, not at opening. Bands come from the first-pass statute reading; not re-read in the v3 pass. Source
- Attorney fee: No legal schedule: set by agreement or the court. Court allows a fair and reasonable fee on a detailed petition. Total attorney fees may not exceed a fair and reasonable total charge for administering the estate (7-602(c)). Not re-read in the v3 pass. Source
- Executor fee: Legal maximum: the real fee can be lower. 7-601(b)(2): commissions may not exceed 9% of the first $20,000, then $1,800 plus 3.6% of the excess over $20,000. The court allows the commission it considers appropriate, up to this cap. A will may provide a larger amount. Re-read 2026-10-10. Source
Some Maryland rules could not be checked on a current official page. Each rule links to the source we used. Confirm with the court or a lawyer before you rely on it.
General information from official state sources, not legal advice.