Connecticut Co-Fiduciaries: How Is the Fee Split?

Quick answer: No, Connecticut co-fiduciaries don't split a fee according to any set formula — because there's no fee statute in Connecticut at all, there's no numbered multi-fiduciary subsection either. The Probate Court applies the same Hayward v. Plant reasonableness standard and Rule 39.2 nine-factor task statement to what each co-fiduciary actually contributed. Estimate the underlying compensation first with the Connecticut executor fee calculator.

No statute means no multi-fiduciary formula

Probate Court Rules of Procedure, Rule 39.2: the nine-factor task statement is framed around an individual fiduciary's own responsibilities, work, and time — consistent with this framing, each co-fiduciary would generally need to document their own contribution to support their own portion of any fee request, rather than relying on a single combined formula the way a statute-based state might provide.

A real case with two executors

Estate of Macgonical: Judge F. Paul Kurmay, applying the Hayward v. Plant standard, allowed two individual executors a combined $125,000 — 3.9063% of the $3,200,000 estate — plus a separate $60,000 in attorney fees. This is a real, documented example of the framework being applied where more than one person served as fiduciary, though the case doesn't establish a formula for how the total should be divided between them — that determination still flows from the same reasonableness analysis applied to each person's actual role.

What a Probate Court would likely weigh

Because Rule 39.2's factors include the responsibilities involved, the character of work required, and the time required, a Connecticut probate judge reviewing co-fiduciary compensation would naturally look at how the administrative work was actually divided between the people serving — not an automatic even split, and not a separate full award for each person regardless of their actual contribution.

Real coordination costs, same as anywhere

Co-fiduciaries in Connecticut 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 approved.

Worked example

Two siblings serve as co-fiduciaries of a Connecticut estate. One handles the bulk of the administrative work; the other contributes occasionally. A sole fiduciary doing all the work might reasonably bill 40 hours at $40/hr, or $1,600.

Co-fiduciary	Hours	Rate	Compensation
Sibling A (primary administrator)	32 hrs	$40/hr	$1,280
Sibling B (occasional support)	8 hrs	$40/hr	$320

Each figure reflects that person's own documented contribution against the Rule 39.2 factors, combining to roughly the same total a sole fiduciary's full administration would have reasonably cost.

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Connecticut co-fiduciaries — frequently asked questions

Does Connecticut have a formula for splitting fees among co-executors?

No — since there's no fee statute at all, there's no numbered multi-fiduciary subsection either. The Probate Court applies the same Hayward v. Plant reasonableness standard and Rule 39.2 task-statement factors to each co-fiduciary's own contribution.

Did the real Estate of Macgonical case involve co-executors?

Yes. Judge F. Paul Kurmay allowed two individual executors a combined $125,000, applying the Hayward v. Plant standard — a real, documented example of the framework applied where more than one person served.

Does each Connecticut co-fiduciary need to submit their own task statement?

Consistent with Rule 39.2's focus on the individual fiduciary's own responsibilities, work, and time, each co-fiduciary would generally need to document their own contribution against the nine factors to support their own portion of the fee.

Can Connecticut co-fiduciaries be paid different amounts?

Yes. Because each co-fiduciary's compensation flows from their own documented contribution under the Rule 39.2 factors, there is no requirement for an even split — one who did most of the work can reasonably be paid more than one who contributed little.

What if Connecticut co-fiduciaries disagree about how to split the fee?

The disagreement doesn't change the standard — each co-fiduciary's request is still evaluated against their own documented contribution under Hayward v. Plant and Rule 39.2. If they can't resolve it themselves, either can bring the dispute to the Probate Court for review.

Estimate for general guidance only, not legal advice. Based on Hayward v. Plant, 98 Conn. 374 (1923), Probate Court Rules of Procedure Rule 39.2, and Estate of Macgonical. Connecticut has no statutory formula for dividing compensation among co-fiduciaries; each person's compensation is assessed on their own documented contribution. Consult a Connecticut probate attorney to resolve a specific dispute over compensation between co-fiduciaries.