Arkansas Co-Personal Representatives: Fee Split?

Q: Do Arkansas co-personal representatives each get their own 10%/5%/3% ceiling?

No. Ark. Code 28-48-108 sets one ceiling for the personal property administered; when multiple personal representatives serve, the court apportions that total based on the services each person actually performed, or based on an agreement the co-personal representatives reach among themselves.

Quick answer: No, Arkansas co-personal representatives don't each collect a separate 10%/5%/3% ceiling. Ark. Code § 28-48-108 sets one ceiling for the personal property administered. When more than one personal representative serves, the court apportions that total based on the services each person actually performed, or based on whatever agreement the co-personal representatives reach among themselves. Estimate the underlying ceiling first with the Arkansas executor fee calculator.

One ceiling, apportioned by actual contribution

Ark. Code § 28-48-108(a): the statute sets a single percentage-bracket ceiling on the personal property fully administered, with no separate subsection multiplying that ceiling per person. Consistent with this, standard practice apportions the resulting total among co-personal representatives based on the services each individually performed, or by whatever division they agree to themselves — if one person does most of the work, that can be reflected in the split.

Self-administration still applies, per person

§ 28-48-108(f)(1): the ability to fix one's own fee without prior court approval isn't limited to a sole personal representative, so each co-personal representative would generally rely on the same self-payment mechanism for their own share — subject to the same later reasonableness review and possible refund order under § (f)(2) if any individual's take turns out excessive.

Real estate work still tracks the individual who did it

§ 28-48-108(b): the separate allowance for substantial real-property duties is tied to the work actually performed. If only one co-personal representative personally handled real estate matters, that person specifically — not the group automatically — would be positioned to seek that additional allowance.

Real coordination costs, same as anywhere

Co-personal representatives in Arkansas share fiduciary duties, and disagreements about pace, priorities, or how to divide tasks can slow administration or invite disputes — a practical consideration independent of how compensation eventually gets divided.

Worked example

Two siblings serve as co-personal representatives of an Arkansas estate with $500,000 in personal property, producing a $15,150 ceiling under § 28-48-108(a) for a sole personal representative.

Co-personal representative	Share of work	Illustrative compensation
Sibling A (primary administrator)	80%	$12,120
Sibling B (occasional support)	20%	$3,030

Illustrative only — Arkansas's statute doesn't specify a fixed formula for splitting compensation between co-personal representatives; the court (or their own agreement) decides based on each person's actual contribution.

Facing probate in Arkansas?

A local probate attorney can review your estate — many offer a free consultation.

Talk to an Arkansas attorney

Arkansas co-personal representatives — frequently asked questions

Do Arkansas co-personal representatives each get their own 10%/5%/3% ceiling?

No. § 28-48-108 sets one ceiling for the personal property administered; when multiple personal representatives serve, the court apportions that total based on the services each person performed, or an agreement they reach themselves.

Who decides how the Arkansas executor fee is divided among co-personal representatives?

The probate court, if the co-personal representatives don't reach their own agreement — it apportions the single statutory total according to each person's actual contribution.

Does the self-administered payment option apply when there are multiple Arkansas personal representatives?

The ability to fix one's own fee without prior court approval under § 28-48-108(f)(1) isn't written specifically for a sole personal representative, so each co-personal representative would generally rely on the same mechanism for their own share.

Can one Arkansas co-personal representative be ordered to refund compensation while another keeps theirs?

Likely yes — the excessive-compensation refund remedy under § 28-48-108(f)(2) is tied to what a specific person received for their own services, pointing toward an individual assessment.

Does adding a co-personal representative increase the total Arkansas executor fee available?

No — the statute sets one ceiling for the personal property administered regardless of how many personal representatives serve; more people means dividing the same total, not multiplying it.

Estimate for general guidance only, not legal advice. Based on Ark. Code § 28-48-108. Arkansas has no statutory formula for dividing compensation among co-personal representatives; the illustrative 80/20 split above is not a statutory rule. Consult an Arkansas probate attorney to resolve a specific dispute over compensation between co-personal representatives.

Arkansas Co-Personal Representatives: How Is the Fee Split?