Pennsylvania probate cost vs living trust cost
The probate side of this comparison reuses the same approach as the Pennsylvania Probate Cost Calculator: the Johnson Estate court guideline for the executor fee (5% first $100,000, declining), a comparable attorney fee, and the inheritance tax by relationship (0% spouse/charity, 4.5% lineal descendants/ancestors, 12% siblings, 15% others, no exemption). On a $500,000 estate left to a child, that's roughly $18,000 in executor fee, a similar attorney fee, and $22,500 in inheritance tax. The trust side is market data, not a statutory figure: Pennsylvania attorneys typically charge roughly $1,000–$5,745 for a revocable living trust. See the full breakdown in Pennsylvania Living Trust Setup Cost.
The one thing a trust doesn't touch: Pennsylvania's inheritance tax applies based on the heir's relationship to the decedent, whether the asset passes through probate or a properly funded trust. A trust avoids the executor fee, the attorney fee, and the Register of Wills process — not this tax.