FigureMyTax

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

There's no formula here either — just the same McMahon v. Krapf factors, applied separately to each co-personal representative's actual work.

M.G.L. c.190B § 3-719 FigureMyTax Editorial Team

By the FigureMyTax Editorial Team · How we calculate

Quick answer: No, Massachusetts co-personal representatives don't automatically each collect their own full compensation with a combined total that grows by headcount. M.G.L. c.190B, § 3-719 contains no separate provision for multiple personal representatives — the same "reasonable compensation" standard and the McMahon v. Krapf factors govern, and the value of each co-personal representative's actual services determines what they're individually owed. Estimate the underlying reasonable range first with the Massachusetts executor fee calculator.

No statutory split, because there's no statutory schedule to split

M.G.L. c.190B, § 3-719: "A personal representative is entitled to reasonable compensation for services." Unlike states with an explicit statutory percentage and a numbered multi-representative subsection (Florida, New York, New Jersey), Massachusetts's reasonableness-only standard has nothing to say specifically about co-personal representatives — because it has nothing to say specifically about a percentage schedule at all.

Each co-personal representative's work gets its own McMahon v. Krapf analysis

Because reasonableness under § 3-719 turns on the McMahon v. Krapf factors — size of the estate, marketable nature of the assets, factual and legal complexity, time reasonably required, skill and ability employed, customary pay for similar work, and results accomplished — a court dividing compensation among co-personal representatives would naturally look at what each person individually contributed to those factors, not an automatic even split, and not a separate full fee multiplied by however many people are serving.

Misconduct by one doesn't necessarily cost the other

Case law principle: Massachusetts courts have held that "a fiduciary who commits a breach of his fiduciary duty imperils his compensation," and that no one is entitled to pay for "services rendered which were unnecessary." Applied to co-personal representatives, these principles would naturally focus on each individual's own conduct — one co-personal representative's misstep doesn't automatically extend to the other's separately earned share.

Real coordination costs, same as anywhere

Co-personal representatives in Massachusetts 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 Massachusetts 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 McMahon v. Krapf-reasonable compensation for their own time, combining to roughly the same total a sole personal representative's full administration would have reasonably cost.

Facing probate in Massachusetts?

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

Talk to a Massachusetts attorney

Massachusetts co-personal representatives — frequently asked questions

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

§ 3-719 contains no separate provision for multiple personal representatives; the same reasonable-compensation standard and the McMahon v. Krapf factors apply, and each co-personal representative's compensation is assessed on the value of their own actual services.

Does adding a co-personal representative increase the total compensation available?

Not automatically. Because compensation is tied to the reasonable value of services actually rendered rather than a fixed formula per person, the combined total is generally assessed against what the whole administration was worth.

Could one Massachusetts co-personal representative lose their share while the other keeps theirs?

Potentially, yes — a fiduciary who commits a breach of duty risks their own compensation, and no one is entitled to pay for unnecessary services, principles that apply to each person's own conduct individually.

Do Massachusetts co-personal representatives file the compensation request together?

There is no statutory requirement either way — each person's request for reasonable compensation is generally assessed on their own contribution regardless of how it is filed.

Can Massachusetts co-personal representatives receive unequal compensation?

Yes — because compensation tracks the value of each person's actual services, a co-personal representative who did most of the work can reasonably receive more than one whose involvement was minor.

Keep going

Massachusetts Executor Fee CalculatorYour estimate + PDF Massachusetts Executor Fee: How Much Is It?The McMahon v. Krapf factors Massachusetts Executor Fee: Taxable? Can You Waive It?IRS rules + waiver Massachusetts Probate Cost CalculatorThe full cost picture

Estimate for general guidance only, not legal advice. Based on M.G.L. c.190B ยง 3-719 and McMahon v. Krapf, 323 Mass. 118 (1948). Massachusetts has no statutory formula for dividing compensation among co-personal representatives; each person's compensation is assessed on their own reasonable services under the McMahon v. Krapf factors. Consult a Massachusetts probate attorney to resolve a specific dispute over compensation between co-personal representatives.