Quick answer: Utah sets no statutory percentage. Under Utah Code § 75-3-718(1), a personal representative is entitled to "reasonable compensation," and if a petition seeking approval of that amount is filed and goes unopposed, the requested figure automatically becomes the legally reasonable compensation — no independent judicial reasonableness test required. Get an illustrative estimate with the Utah executor fee calculator.
Reasonable compensation, with a real shortcut
Utah Code § 75-3-718(1): "A personal representative and an attorney are entitled to reasonable compensation for their services. If a petition is filed which either directly or indirectly seeks approval of the personal representative's compensation or the attorney's compensation and if no objection is filed by an interested person to the compensation requested, reasonable compensation shall be the compensation sought in the petition." This is genuinely distinctive: silence from interested persons doesn't just make a challenge harder — it makes the requested amount automatically "reasonable" as a matter of law.
If someone objects: a real multi-factor test
§ 75-3-718(1): "the court shall determine reasonable compensation for the personal representative based on the quality, quantity, and value of the services rendered to the estate and the circumstances under which those services were rendered, including the practice for other fiduciaries who are in similar circumstances to the personal representative in question."
The 10-day notice window that makes it work
§ 75-3-718(2): "at least 10 days before the time set for the hearing of the petition, the petitioner or the petitioner's attorney shall send a copy of the petition to all interested persons either by certified, registered, or first class mail or by hand-delivery." This 10-day window is exactly the period during which an objection has to be filed to prevent automatic approval.
Compensation can still be reviewed later — and refunded
§ 75-3-720: "After notice to all interested persons... the reasonableness of the compensation determined by the personal representative for the personal representative's own services[] may be reviewed by the court. Any person who has received excessive compensation from an estate for services rendered may be ordered to make appropriate refunds." Compensation isn't necessarily locked in forever just because it went unchallenged in an earlier petition — this is a separate review mechanism, and excessive amounts can be ordered returned.
The will's compensation, and renouncing it
§ 75-3-718(3): if the will sets compensation and there's no separate contract with the decedent about it, the personal representative may renounce that provision before qualifying and get reasonable compensation instead. A personal representative may also renounce all or part of the compensation generally, with a written renunciation filed with the court.
A sense of typical figures
Because there's no statutory number, hourly rates for a family personal representative's own time in Utah vary by county and complexity; illustrative estimates commonly fall in the $30-$60/hr range for non-professional, family-member administration, with professional fiduciaries charging considerably more. These aren't statutory figures — only the reasonableness standard (and the unopposed-petition shortcut) are.
Facing probate in Utah?A local probate attorney can review your estate — many offer a free consultation.
Talk to an Utah attorneyEstimate for general guidance only, not legal advice. Based on Utah Code § 75-3-718 and § 75-3-720. Utah sets no statutory percentage or fixed hourly rate; illustrative rate ranges are not set by law. Verify with the probate court or a licensed Utah attorney.