Quick answer: Utah is a low-cost probate state. The court fee is a flat $375 regardless of estate size, there's no state death tax, and the main variable is professional fees — executor and attorney compensation, which Utah sets as a reasonable amount with no statutory percentage. Get your own figure with the Utah probate cost calculator.
Court costs — flat, not scaled
Executor & attorney fees — reasonable compensation
In practice, Utah attorneys often charge a flat $3,500–$6,000 for a routine informal probate (more for formal or contested), or quote roughly 2–3.5% of the estate. Family executors frequently waive their fee, since it's taxable income while an inheritance is not.
Worked total examples
Court fee $375 + publication + accounting = $600 fixed. Professional fees shown at an illustrative 3% each (attorney + executor):
| Estate value | Court + fixed | Attorney (est.) | Executor (est.) | Approx. total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $200,000 | $600 | $6,000 | $6,000 | ≈ $12,600 |
| $500,000 | $600 | $15,000 | $15,000 | ≈ $30,600 |
| $1,000,000 | $600 | $30,000 | $30,000 | ≈ $60,600 |
Fixed = $375 filing + $150 publication + $75 accounting/copies. Professional fees are illustrative at 3% each, not a statutory rate — many informal Utah estates instead pay a flat $3,500–$6,000 attorney fee, and family executors often waive theirs, so real totals are frequently much lower. Run your own numbers in the calculator.
How to reduce Utah probate costs
- Use the small estate affidavit — entire estate up to $100,000, no real property, skips court entirely (§ 75-3-1201).
- Use informal probate — registrar-handled, no hearing, far less attorney time.
- Negotiate a flat attorney fee for a simple estate instead of a percentage.
- Executor waives the fee if a family member and beneficiary.
- File the fee petition and let it go unopposed — the fastest route to a settled, undisputed fee.