Tennessee Co-Executors: How Is Compensation Split?

Quick answer: Tennessee has no percentage-of-estate commission, so there's no pool for co-executors to split in the first place. Because T.C.A. § 30-2-606 ties compensation to each personal representative's own reasonable services, each co-personal representative generally petitions the probate court and is assessed independently, based on their own actual contribution — not a fixed share of one total. Estimate a starting figure with the Tennessee executor fee calculator.

Why there's no pool to divide

T.C.A. § 30-2-606 credits "the accounting party" — whoever is accounting to the court — with reasonable compensation for services. When more than one person serves as personal representative, Tennessee courts apply the same case-by-case reasonableness analysis (per In re Estate of Schorn) to each of them individually: their own time, their own effort, their own responsibility. There's no statutory total calculated for the estate first and then apportioned, the way there is in a percentage-based state.

This differs from percentage-based states

In Georgia, North Carolina, and Ohio, a single statutory or clerk-approved commission is sized for the estate and then divided among co-executors by contribution. Tennessee skips that step — there was never a single total to begin with, since compensation was never a percentage of the estate. The practical effect is similar to Arizona's model (more individual work generally supports more individual compensation), but the procedural path differs: Tennessee generally requires an affirmative court petition for each personal representative's compensation, rather than Arizona's self-administered, no-petition-needed default.

Uneven contributions are expected, not unusual

Because each co-personal representative's compensation is assessed on their own work, there's no assumption of a 50/50 (or otherwise even) split. A co-personal representative who did the bulk of the estate administration — inventorying assets, handling creditor claims, preparing accountings — can reasonably petition for, and a court can reasonably approve, considerably more than a co-personal representative whose involvement was minimal.

The petition should reflect the actual division of labor

Since Tennessee generally requires a petition to the probate court to receive compensation, co-personal representatives are well served by documenting who did what as administration happens — the same records that support a reasonable fee for one personal representative are what let a court fairly assess two or more.

Worked example

Two siblings serve as co-personal representatives of a $300,000 Tennessee estate. One handles the bulk of the administration; the other contributes occasionally.

Co-personal representative	Basis	Petitioned amount
Sibling A (primary administrator)	Most of the work; ~3% reasonable per court review	$9,000
Sibling B (occasional support)	Limited contribution; ~1% reasonable per court review	$3,000

Both figures are illustrative, independently assessed amounts — not a $12,000 pool split 3-to-1. Each is simply what the court found reasonable for that person's own work.

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Tennessee co-executors — frequently asked questions

Do Tennessee co-executors split one fee?

There is no statutory pool to split in the first place — Tennessee's T.C.A. § 30-2-606 sets no percentage or fixed amount to divide. Each co-personal representative generally petitions the probate court separately (or jointly, with a requested split explained), and the court assesses reasonable compensation for each based on their own contribution.

How does a Tennessee court decide each co-executor's share?

Using the same case-by-case factors applied to a single personal representative — time and effort, complexity, responsibility assumed, and results achieved — evaluated for each co-personal representative's own actual contribution to administering the estate.

Can Tennessee co-executors request an uneven split?

Yes. Because compensation is already individualized and reasonableness-based, there's no assumption of an equal division. A co-executor who did most of the work can reasonably request, and a court can reasonably approve, meaningfully more than a co-executor who contributed less.

Does each Tennessee co-executor need to file their own petition?

Generally yes, or a joint petition that clearly explains the requested split — since compensation must be affirmatively requested and is assessed on each person's own contribution, the petition should document who did what.

How does Tennessee's approach to co-executor pay differ from percentage-based states?

In percentage-based states like Georgia or Ohio, one statutory commission is sized for the estate first and then divided among co-executors. Tennessee skips that step entirely — there was never a single total to begin with, since compensation was never a percentage of the estate.

Estimate for general guidance only, not legal advice. Based on T.C.A. § 30-2-606 and Tennessee case law (In re Estate of Schorn). Each co-personal representative's compensation is assessed independently by the probate court on their own reasonable services; there is no statutory pool divided by headcount. A will can set different terms for multiple executors. Consult a Tennessee probate attorney to resolve a specific dispute over compensation between co-personal representatives.