Pennsylvania Co-Executors: How Is the Fee Split?

There's no formula here either — just the same "reasonable and just" question, asked separately about each co-executor's actual work.

20 Pa.C.S. § 3537 FigureMyTax Editorial Team

Quick answer: No, Pennsylvania co-executors don't each automatically collect a full Johnson Estate benchmark. 20 Pa.C.S. § 3537 contains no separate provision for multiple personal representatives — the same "reasonable and just" standard governs, and the Orphans' Court divides compensation based on the value of what each co-executor actually did, not a fixed formula that multiplies or splits a single number. Estimate the underlying benchmark first with the Pennsylvania executor fee calculator.

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

20 Pa.C.S. § 3537: "The court shall allow such compensation to the personal representative as shall in the circumstances be reasonable and just." Unlike states with an explicit statutory percentage and a numbered multi-fiduciary subsection (Florida, New York, Missouri, California), Pennsylvania's one-sentence statute has nothing to say specifically about co-executors — because it has nothing to say specifically about a percentage schedule at all.

Each co-executor's work is assessed on its own

In re Williamson's Estate, 368 Pa. 343, 82 A.2d 49 (1951): the true test of reasonable compensation is "the responsibility incurred and the service and labor performed." Applied to co-executors, this means each person's compensation reflects what they individually did — not an automatic even split, and not a doubled or tripled version of the Johnson Estate benchmark the way some other states' explicit statutes provide.

The Johnson Estate benchmark still applies, per person's work

Because the Johnson Estate schedule is itself just an unofficial benchmark for what a single administration is worth, practitioners typically treat the combined co-executor compensation as bounded by roughly what the estate's total administration would reasonably cost — then divide that pool according to who actually did the work, rather than granting each co-executor their own separate full benchmark.

Real coordination costs, same as anywhere

Co-executors in Pennsylvania 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-executors of a Pennsylvania estate worth $500,000, where a sole executor's Johnson Estate benchmark would be $18,000.

ScenarioSibling ASibling BTotal
Even split (roughly equal work)$9,000$9,000$18,000
Uneven split (A did most of the work)$13,500$4,500$18,000

These figures illustrate the reasonable-and-just principle applied to a shared benchmark; a court could still find that genuinely extraordinary combined effort justifies a higher total, or that mismanagement justifies a lower one.

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Pennsylvania co-executors — frequently asked questions

Do Pennsylvania co-executors each get a full Johnson Estate benchmark?

No. 20 Pa.C.S. § 3537 contains no separate provision for multiple personal representatives; the same reasonable-and-just standard applies to the estate's administration as a whole, and the Orphans' Court divides compensation among co-executors based on the value of each person's actual services.

Does having co-executors increase the total compensation available in Pennsylvania?

Not automatically. Because compensation is tied to the value of services actually rendered rather than a fixed pool per person, adding a co-executor does not by itself create additional statutory entitlement — what matters is the work each one actually performed.

How does a Pennsylvania court divide compensation between co-executors?

By assessing the responsibility incurred and the service and labor performed by each co-executor individually, the same reasonableness inquiry used for a sole personal representative under 20 Pa.C.S. § 3537, rather than a fixed formula for splitting one total.

Does the Johnson Estate benchmark apply differently to Pennsylvania co-executors?

Practitioners typically treat the combined co-executor compensation as bounded by roughly what a single administration would reasonably cost under the Johnson Estate benchmark, then divide that pool according to who actually did the work, rather than granting each co-executor their own separate full benchmark.

Can Pennsylvania co-executors be paid unevenly?

Yes. Because each co-executor's compensation reflects what they individually did rather than an automatic even split, a co-executor who did most of the work can reasonably receive a larger share than one who contributed little.

Estimate for general guidance only, not legal advice. Based on 20 Pa.C.S. ยง 3537 and In re Williamson's Estate, 368 Pa. 343 (1951). Pennsylvania has no statutory formula for dividing compensation among co-executors; division follows the same reasonable-and-just inquiry applied to a sole personal representative, based on actual services rendered. Consult a Pennsylvania probate attorney to resolve a specific dispute over compensation between co-executors.