The Estate Planning Guide Est. 2026

Tennessee Probate Fee Sheet (Printable)

By The Estate Planning Guide Editorial Team Researched against primary sources

Published August 15, 2026 5 min read

Quick answer

Tennessee does not set probate fees by statute, so costs stay moderate. Attorney fees for a routine, uncontested estate typically run about $2,000 to $5,000 (flat or hourly), plus a few hundred dollars in court and publication costs — so a straightforward $400,000 estate often settles for roughly $3,000 to $6,000 all in.

⚠️ 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 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
Court filing fee Roughly $200–$450 to open the estate, varying by county (paid to the probate or chancery court clerk), plus a newspaper publication fee for the notice to creditors.
Attorney fees Not statutory. Tennessee attorneys typically charge a flat fee (about $2,000–$5,000 for a routine estate) or 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). Practitioners often see roughly 1%–5% depending on complexity, and family executors frequently waive it.
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

On a $500,000 Tennessee estate there is no statutory number: a court reviews the actual work and might approve something in the roughly $10,000–$20,000 range (about 2%–4%) for ordinary administration, more if there was litigation, a business, or real estate to sell. 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 Creditors generally have four months from the first publication of the notice to creditors to file claims, under Tenn. Code Ann. §30-2-306 and §30-2-307, with an ultimate bar of twelve months from the date of death for creditors who never receive notice.
Typical duration About 6 to 12 months for a routine, uncontested estate; the four-month creditor-claim period sets the practical floor.
Transfer-on-death deed Tennessee does not currently authorize a transfer-on-death or beneficiary deed for real estate, and it does not recognize lady bird (enhanced life estate) deeds either. Bills to adopt the Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act have been introduced in recent sessions but have not passed. To keep a home out of probate, Tennessee owners generally use a living trust or a survivorship (joint-tenancy) deed.
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 Tennessee trigger is stated in the row above, as written in the statute.

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 — Tennessee does not currently authorize a transfer-on-death or beneficiary deed for real estate, and it does not recognize lady bird (enhanced life estate) deeds either. Bills to adopt the Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act have been introduced in recent sessions but have not passed. To keep a home out of probate, Tennessee owners generally use a living trust or a survivorship (joint-tenancy) deed.
  • 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 Tennessee court before relying on it.

The full Tennessee guides

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.

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