The Estate Planning Guide Est. 2026

Colorado Probate Fee Sheet (Printable)

By The Estate Planning Guide Editorial Team Researched against primary sources

Published August 15, 2026 5 min read

Quick answer

Colorado does not set probate fees by statute. It is a Uniform Probate Code state where most estates use informal probate, which is simple and relatively inexpensive — attorney fees for a routine, uncontested case commonly run about $3,000 to $7,000, plus a $199 court filing fee. For many Colorado families, that low cost means a living trust isn't strictly necessary for a simple estate.

⚠️ Educational information only — not legal, tax, or financial advice.

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 Colorado 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 Colorado reference. Every figure below is compiled from the statutes and state authorities listed at the bottom — the same sources cited on our Colorado probate pages.

Colorado probate fees

Item Colorado
Court filing fee $199 to open an informal (or formal) probate in the district court, statewide. Add publication of notice to creditors and certified copies (Letters Testamentary).
Attorney fees Not statutory. Colorado is a Uniform Probate Code state, so there is no fixed percentage. Attorneys charge hourly or a flat fee, and the fee must be 'reasonable.' Under C.R.S. §15-10-602 and §15-10-603, an attorney who provides services to an estate is entitled to reasonable compensation, and the court can review fees for reasonableness on request.
Executor / personal representative fees Not statutory. The personal representative is entitled to 'reasonable compensation' for services — Colorado has no California-style percentage schedule. Colorado courts cannot simply award a flat percentage; reasonableness depends on the estate's size and complexity and the time and skill involved. The former §15-12-719 was repealed and folded into the general reasonable-compensation provisions at C.R.S. §15-10-601 et seq.; family representatives often waive the fee.
Fee basis reasonable

Worked example

On a $500,000 Colorado estate there is no statutory percentage. Because the fee must be reasonable, a personal representative handling an ordinary, uncomplicated estate might reasonably charge on the order of $10,000–$15,000 based on hours and responsibility — but the probate court can reduce a fee it finds unreasonable.

Colorado thresholds and deadlines

Item Colorado
Small-estate threshold For decedents dying in 2026, an estate of $88,000 or less in total probate property (no real estate) can be collected by affidavit 10 days after death under C.R.S. §15-12-1201. The figure is adjusted for inflation annually under C.R.S. §15-10-112 (it was $86,000 for 2025).
Creditor claim period Four months after the first publication of notice to creditors under C.R.S. §15-12-801, with an outside bar of one year from the date of death for all claims under C.R.S. §15-12-803.
Typical duration About 6 to 12 months for a routine informal probate. The estate must remain open at least the statutory minimum, and the creditor-claim period sets the practical floor before final distribution.
Simplified real-property transfer Colorado's collection-by-affidavit procedure is limited to personal property and cannot be used to transfer real estate. To avoid probate on a home, owners use a beneficiary (transfer-on-death) deed under C.R.S. §15-15-401 et seq. or a living trust.
Transfer-on-death deed Colorado allows a beneficiary deed (its form of transfer-on-death deed) for real estate under C.R.S. §15-15-401 et seq. The owner records a deed naming a grantee-beneficiary before death; the owner keeps full control and can revoke it any time, and the property passes to the beneficiary at death outside probate.
Note on the creditor-claim clock. The period above does not start on the same event in every state — depending on the statute it can run from the date of death, from the date letters are issued to the personal representative, or from first publication of notice. The Colorado trigger is stated in the row above, as written in the statute.

What passes outside Colorado 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 — Colorado allows a beneficiary deed (its form of transfer-on-death deed) for real estate under C.R.S. §15-15-401 et seq. The owner records a deed naming a grantee-beneficiary before death; the owner keeps full control and can revoke it any time, and the property passes to the beneficiary at death outside probate.
  • Assets titled into a funded living trust.

Sources for this sheet

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 Colorado court before relying on it.

The full Colorado guides

Fee sheets for other states

California · Texas · Florida · New York · Pennsylvania · Illinois · Ohio · Georgia · North Carolina · Michigan · Connecticut · Arkansas · Indiana · Oklahoma · Oregon · New Jersey · Washington · Arizona · Massachusetts · Maryland · Minnesota · Missouri · Alabama · Alaska · Delaware · Hawaii · Idaho · Iowa · Kansas · Kentucky · Louisiana · Maine · Mississippi · Montana · Nebraska · Nevada · New Hampshire · New Mexico · North Dakota · Rhode Island · South Carolina · South Dakota · Tennessee · Utah · Vermont · Virginia · West Virginia · Wisconsin · Wyoming

This sheet sets out Colorado 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 Colorado courts or a licensed Colorado attorney.

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