The Estate Planning Guide Est. 2026

Estate Planning by State: Find Your State's Guide

Published June 30, 2026 3 min read

Quick answer

Estate planning is mostly governed by state law, so the right answer genuinely changes depending on where you live — probate can be cheap in one state and cost tens of thousands in another, wills have different signing rules, and some states have their own estate tax while most don't. This page collects our state-specific guides. We're building them one state at a time, starting with the four biggest: California (high statutory probate fees make trusts worth it), Texas (cheap probate means most people don't need a trust), Florida (homestead rules shape everything), and New York (expensive Surrogate's Court probate). Pick your state below for cost numbers, statutes, and honest guidance written for where you actually live.

Educational guides — not legal advice. Estate law varies by state and changes. Confirm details with a licensed attorney in your state.

Why your state matters so much

Estate planning is mostly state law, and the differences are bigger than most people expect:

  • Probate cost can run from a few thousand dollars (Texas) to tens of thousands (California, New York) for the same size estate.
  • Wills have different signing rules — some states accept handwritten wills, others don’t; some use notarized self-proving affidavits, others don’t.
  • Taxes vary — most states have no estate or inheritance tax, but a handful (like New York) do.
  • Probate-avoidance tools differ — some states have transfer-on-death deeds, others use Lady Bird deeds or rely on trusts.

That’s why generic advice only gets you so far. Below are our state-specific guides, written for where you actually live.

Build-now states

We’re starting with the four largest states, each with a full cluster of guides.

California

California sets probate fees by statute and calculates them on the gross value of your estate — so a single home can trigger tens of thousands in fees. That makes a living trust worth it for most California homeowners.

Texas

Texas has one of the cheapest probate systems in the country thanks to independent administration — so, unlike California, most Texans don’t need a trust at all.

Florida

Florida’s constitutional homestead protection shapes everything — it can even override your will — and the state has no income or estate tax.

New York

New York probate runs through Surrogate’s Court with statutory executor commissions plus attorney fees — expensive enough that many New Yorkers use a living trust. It also has its own estate tax.

Georgia

Georgia has no state death tax and moderately priced probate, plus a distinctive Year’s Support rule that can move estate property to a surviving spouse or minor children ahead of creditors — often without full administration.

Compare specific topics across states

Prefer to compare one topic across many states? These hubs break down a single question state by state:

More states coming

We’re adding states in batches — North Carolina, Arizona, Tennessee, and others are next. If your state isn’t here yet, the national guides cover the concepts that apply everywhere, and the topic-by-state hubs above already include many more states.

Educational information only — not legal, tax, or financial advice. Estate law varies substantially by state and changes over time. Consult a licensed attorney in your state. Sources: state probate codes and statutes cited within each state guide.

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