Quick answer: W.S. § 2-7-803 computes the personal representative's fee on a real four-tier schedule: 10% of the first $1,000, 5% of the next $4,000, 3% of the next $15,000, and 2% of everything above $20,000. A $500,000 probate estate produces $10,350. The estate's attorney is entitled to the identical schedule under § 2-7-804 — a genuinely distinctive feature of Wyoming law. Get an estimate with the Wyoming executor fee calculator.
The schedule, verbatim
W.S. § 2-7-803(a): "The fees shall be computed on the basis of the amount of the decedent's probate estate accounted for as follows: (i) For the first one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) of the basis, ten percent (10%); (ii) For all sums over one thousand dollars ($1,000.00) but not exceeding five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) of the basis, five percent (5%); (iii) For all sums over five thousand dollars ($5,000.00) but not exceeding twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) of the basis, three percent (3%); (iv) For all sums over twenty thousand dollars ($20,000.00) of the basis, two percent (2%)."
The 10% headline rate barely moves the needle
Wyoming's opening tier is the highest headline percentage of any state in this cluster — but it applies only to the first $1,000, capping its dollar contribution at exactly $100 no matter the estate's size. Nearly the entire fee on a typical estate is computed at the bottom 2% tier, so the effective blended rate drifts down toward 2% as the estate grows: about 2.35% at $100,000, roughly 2.07% at $500,000, and about 2.035% at $1,000,000.
What counts as the "probate estate accounted for"
§ 2-7-803(c): the basis (i) includes items the personal representative is chargeable with at inventory value; (ii) deducts any loss or adds any increase from a reappraisement or actual sale during administration; (iii) adds accretions like interest, dividends, and sale profits that came into the personal representative's possession, excluding borrowed money or refunds; (iv) deducts property lost or destroyed without the personal representative's fault; and (v) includes net, not gross, income from any business operated during administration.
The attorney's identical schedule
W.S. § 2-7-804: the estate's attorney is entitled to fees for ordinary services computed on the same four tiers as the personal representative's schedule — a separate statutory award, not a share of the personal representative's own fee. Subsection (d): "Nothing herein shall prevent the personal representative and the attorney from negotiating lower fees" than the schedule provides.
Beyond the schedule: equity and extraordinary services
§ 2-7-803(a) & (b): if the schedule's result isn't equitable considering the time, effort, and responsibility actually involved, the court may allow an additional fee. Separately, extraordinary services — explicitly including tax matters and litigation involving the decedent or estate — are compensated further, on top of the ordinary-services schedule.
No contingent fees, with one exception
§ 2-7-805(d): contingent fees against an estate are barred, except in a wrongful death recovery proceeding — and even then, only under a written contract entered before the services begin, submitted to and approved by the court in advance.
Worked examples
| Probate estate | PR fee (§ 2-7-803) | Attorney fee (§ 2-7-804) |
|---|
| $100,000 | $2,350 | $2,350 |
| $500,000 | $10,350 | $10,350 |
| $1,000,000 | $20,350 | $20,350 |
Each figure is the tier-by-tier calculation under § 2-7-803, mirrored exactly for the attorney under § 2-7-804 (unless the same person holds both roles). Model your own estate in the calculator.
Facing probate in Wyoming?A local probate attorney can review your estate — many offer a free consultation.
Talk to a Wyoming attorneyEstimate for general guidance only, not legal advice. Based on W.S. § 2-7-803, § 2-7-804, and § 2-7-805. No fees are paid in Wyoming without a court order following a written, verified application. Verify with the district court or a licensed Wyoming attorney.