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

One reasonable fee to agree on dividing — the total doesn't grow just because more people are serving.

HRS § 560:3-719 FigureMyTax Editorial Team

By the FigureMyTax Editorial Team · How we calculate

Quick answer: No, Hawaii co-personal representatives don't automatically each collect their own full compensation with a combined total that grows by headcount. Co-personal representatives must agree on the division of the reasonable compensation available under HRS § 560:3-719, and the court will not increase the total simply because more than one personal representative served. Estimate the underlying reasonable range first with the Hawaii executor fee calculator.

One reasonable total, not one per person

HRS § 560:3-719: "A personal representative is entitled to reasonable compensation for the personal representative's services." Consistent with standard Hawaii probate practice, co-personal representatives must agree on how to divide that single reasonable compensation — the court doesn't recalculate a bigger pool just because two or three people are jointly serving instead of one.

The trustee exclusion doesn't change with headcount

HRS § 607-18: the separate trustee percentage schedule that explicitly doesn't apply to personal representatives applies the same way regardless of how many personal representatives are serving — co-personal representatives don't get pulled into the trustee percentage scheme any more than a sole personal representative would.

If co-personal representatives can't agree, the court steps in

Because Hawaii's statute sets no default formula for splitting compensation between co-personal representatives, a disagreement over the division would go to the probate court, which would look at what each person actually contributed to the administration when deciding how to allocate the single reasonable total.

Self-determined fee review likely works the same way, per person

§ 560:3-721: the refund remedy for excessive self-determined compensation is tied to what a person determined for their own services — language that points toward assessing each co-personal representative's own share individually if a dispute over reasonableness arises.

Real coordination costs, same as anywhere

Co-personal representatives in Hawaii 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 a Hawaii estate. One handles the bulk of the administrative work; the other contributes occasionally. A sole personal representative doing all the work might reasonably bill 40 hours at $40/hr, or $1,600.

Co-personal representativeHoursRateCompensation
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 share of the single agreed-upon reasonable compensation, combining to roughly the same total a sole personal representative's full administration would have reasonably cost.

Facing probate in Hawaii?

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

Talk to a Hawaii attorney

Hawaii co-personal representatives — frequently asked questions

Do Hawaii co-personal representatives each get their own reasonable compensation?

No. Co-personal representatives must agree on how to divide the single reasonable compensation available under HRS § 560:3-719; the court will not increase the total simply because more than one personal representative served.

What happens if Hawaii co-personal representatives can't agree on the split?

The probate court can resolve the disagreement and allocate the single reasonable total based on each co-personal representative's actual contribution, since Hawaii's statute sets no default formula for the division.

Does the Hawaii trustee percentage exclusion change anything for co-personal representatives?

No — HRS § 607-18's trustee percentage schedule doesn't apply to personal representatives regardless of how many are serving; co-personal representatives remain on the same reasonable-compensation standard as a sole personal representative.

Does having co-personal representatives increase the total compensation available in Hawaii?

No. Because the total is a single reasonable amount rather than a per-person allowance, adding a co-personal representative does not by itself increase what the estate pays — it only affects how that amount is divided.

Can Hawaii co-personal representatives be paid different amounts?

Yes. Since the statute sets no default equal split, the division can reasonably reflect how much of the administrative work each co-personal representative actually performed.

Keep going

Hawaii Executor Fee CalculatorYour estimate + PDF Hawaii Executor Fee: How Much Is It?Kept separate from trustee percentages Hawaii Executor Fee: Taxable? Can You Waive It?IRS rules + waiver Hawaii Probate Cost CalculatorThe full cost picture

Estimate for general guidance only, not legal advice. Based on HRS § 560:3-719, § 560:3-721, and § 607-18. Hawaii co-personal representatives must agree on dividing a single reasonable compensation; the illustrative 32/8-hour split above is not a statutory rule. Consult a Hawaii probate attorney to resolve a specific dispute over compensation between co-personal representatives.