Cost of a Will by State
What a will costs where you live, and what the price covers. A will directs an estate through probate; it does not avoid it. Each guide gives the real cost, what makes a will valid in that state, whether handwritten wills count, and when you may need more than a will.
The national picture, briefly
A simple will is inexpensive almost everywhere: roughly $300 to $1,000 with an attorney, $0 to $150 online (several services are free), or $0 if you handwrite one in a state that allows it. Cost rises only with complexity — minor children, a blended family, a business, or estate-tax exposure.
What does vary by state is the law: how many witnesses you need, whether a handwritten (holographic) will is valid at all, and whether your state offers a self-proving affidavit (Ohio, notably, doesn’t). And one thing is true everywhere — a will does not avoid probate. It just tells the court who gets what. The pages below break it down state by state.
| State | Attorney-drafted will | Governing statute | Fee sheet |
|---|---|---|---|
| California | $400 – $1,200 | Cal. Probate Code §6110 (execution) | Printable sheet |
| Texas | $300 – $800 | Tex. Est. Code §251.051 (execution) | Printable sheet |
| Florida | $400 – $1,000 | Fla. Stat. §732.502 (execution) | Printable sheet |
| New York | $500 – $1,200 | N.Y. EPTL §3-2.1 (execution) | Printable sheet |
| Pennsylvania | $300 – $900 | 20 Pa.C.S. §2502 (execution) | Printable sheet |
| Illinois | $300 – $900 | 755 ILCS 5/4-3 (signing and witnessing) | Printable sheet |
| Ohio | $300 – $800 | Ohio R.C. §2107.03 (method of making will) | Printable sheet |
| Georgia | $300 – $800 | O.C.G.A. §53-4-20 (execution) | Printable sheet |
| North Carolina | $300 – $800 | N.C. G.S. §31-3.3 (attested will) | Printable sheet |
| Michigan | $300 – $900 | MCL §700.2502 (execution / holographic) | Printable sheet |
| Connecticut | $400 – $1,000 | Conn. Gen. Stat. §45a-251 (execution) | Printable sheet |
| Arkansas | $250 – $700 | Ark. Code §28-25-103 (execution) | Printable sheet |
| Indiana | $250 – $800 | Ind. Code §29-1-5-3 (execution) | Printable sheet |
| Alabama | $300 – $1,000 | Ala. Code §43-8-131 (execution and signature of will; witnesses) | Printable sheet |
| Alaska | $400 – $1,200 | Alaska Stat. §13.12.502 (execution; witnessed and holographic wills) | Printable sheet |
| Arizona | $300 – $1,000 | Ariz. Rev. Stat. §14-2502 (execution of wills; witnesses) | Printable sheet |
| Colorado | $300 – $1,000 | C.R.S. §15-11-502 (execution; witnessed, notarized, and holographic wills) | Printable sheet |
| Delaware | $300 – $1,200 | 12 Del. C. §202 (requisites and execution of will) | Printable sheet |
| Hawaii | $350 – $1,200 | HRS §560:2-502 (execution; witnessed and holographic wills) | Printable sheet |
| Idaho | $400 – $1,000 | Idaho Code §15-2-502 (execution; witnessed wills) | Printable sheet |
| Iowa | $300 – $1,000 | Iowa Code §633.279 (execution — signed and witnessed; self-proving affidavit) | Printable sheet |
| Kansas | $300 – $1,000 | Kan. Stat. Ann. §59-606 (execution and attestation; self-proved wills) | Printable sheet |
| Kentucky | $200 – $1,000 | Ky. Rev. Stat. §394.040 (requisites of a valid will; holographic wills) | Printable sheet |
| Louisiana | $250 – $1,500 | La. Civ. Code art. 1577 (notarial testament; requirements of form) | Printable sheet |
| Maine | $300 – $1,000 | 18-C M.R.S. §2-502 (execution; witnessed and holographic wills) | Printable sheet |
| Maryland | $300 – $1,200 | Md. Code, Est. & Trusts §4-102 (writing; signature; attestation) | Printable sheet |
| Massachusetts | $300 – $1,200 | Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 190B, §2-502 (execution; witnessed wills) | Printable sheet |
| Minnesota | $300 – $1,000 | Minn. Stat. §524.2-502 (execution; witnessed wills) | Printable sheet |
| Mississippi | $300 – $1,000 | Miss. Code §91-5-1 (who may execute a will; witnesses; holographic wills) | Printable sheet |
| Missouri | $300 – $1,000 | Mo. Rev. Stat. §474.320 (execution of wills) | Printable sheet |
| Montana | $300 – $1,000 | Mont. Code Ann. §72-2-522 (execution; witnessed and holographic wills) | Printable sheet |
| Nebraska | $300 – $1,000 | Neb. Rev. Stat. §30-2327 (execution; witnessed wills) | Printable sheet |
| Nevada | $400 – $1,200 | Nev. Rev. Stat. §133.040 (valid wills: writing, witnesses, attestation) | Printable sheet |
| New Hampshire | $400 – $1,200 | N.H. Rev. Stat. Ann. §551:2 (will execution requirements) | Printable sheet |
| New Jersey | $300 – $1,200 | N.J. Stat. §3B:3-2 (execution; witnessed wills; writings intended as wills / holographic) | Printable sheet |
| New Mexico | $300 – $1,000 | N.M. Stat. §45-2-502 (execution; witnessed wills) | Printable sheet |
| North Dakota | $250 – $1,000 | N.D. Cent. Code §30.1-08-02 (execution; witnessed wills; holographic wills) | Printable sheet |
| Oklahoma | $300 – $1,000 | Okla. Stat. tit. 84, §55 (execution; formal requisites; self-proved wills) | Printable sheet |
| Oregon | $300 – $1,000 | ORS 112.235 (execution of a will) | Printable sheet |
| Rhode Island | $300 – $1,200 | R.I. Gen. Laws §33-5-5 (execution of wills) | Printable sheet |
| South Carolina | $300 – $1,000 | S.C. Code §62-2-502 (execution; witnessed wills) | Printable sheet |
| South Dakota | $250 – $900 | SDCL 29A-2-502 (execution; holographic wills) | Printable sheet |
| Tennessee | $300 – $1,000 | Tenn. Code Ann. §32-1-104 (execution of witnessed wills) | Printable sheet |
| Utah | $300 – $1,000 | Utah Code §75-2-502 (execution; witnessed and holographic wills) | Printable sheet |
| Vermont | $300 – $1,000 | 14 V.S.A. §5 (execution of will; requisites) | Printable sheet |
| Virginia | $300 – $1,000 | Va. Code Ann. §64.2-403 (execution of wills; requirements) | Printable sheet |
| Washington | $400 – $1,500 | RCW 11.12.020 (requisites of wills; execution) | Printable sheet |
| West Virginia | $300 – $1,000 | W. Va. Code §41-1-3 (execution of wills; holographic wills) | Printable sheet |
| Wisconsin | $300 – $1,000 | Wis. Stat. §853.03 (execution of wills) | Printable sheet |
| Wyoming | $300 – $1,000 | Wyo. Stat. §2-6-112 (execution of wills; witnesses) | Printable sheet |
All 50 states are listed above. A will directs an estate through probate; it does not remove assets from it. Execution requirements — witness count, notarisation, and whether a handwritten will is recognised — vary by state and are cited on each state's page.
Will or trust? Start here
- How to Write a Will (and What Makes It Valid) — the step-by-step.
- Do I Need a Will? — what a will governs, and what the intestacy statutes do without one.
- Will vs. Trust: How They Differ — when a will is enough, and when it isn’t.
- Average Cost of a Living Trust by State — the probate-avoiding alternative, by state.
Educational information only — not legal advice. Prices and laws change and depend on your situation. Always confirm current rules with a licensed attorney in your state. Sources: published 2026 attorney and online-service pricing; state will-execution statutes cited on each state page.