How much does an estate planning attorney cost in Maryland?

Estate planning attorneys in Maryland average $370 per hour for wills and estates work, based on the Clio Legal Trends Report 2025. Flat-fee packages run roughly $1,110–$2,220 for a simple individual will and $4,250–$6,375 for a basic revocable trust. Online and DIY services cost $30–$300 for the same documents.

Estate Administration Attorneys in Maryland

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Hiring an Estate Administration Attorney in Maryland

Estate administration in Maryland typically runs 6–9 months for simple estates and 12–24 months for complex ones. The minimum timeline is largely set by the creditor claim period (6 months), during which the executor can't safely distribute assets. Living trusts bypass this entirely because they don't go through probate. The Maryland estate settlement plan walks through the steps.

Maryland sets executor compensation by statute — about $19,080 on a $500,000 estate, roughly 3.8%. Executors can also waive their fee entirely or accept a reduced amount. When the executor is a family member who is also a beneficiary, waiving the fee is common because beneficiary distributions aren't taxed as income while executor fees are. See the Maryland executor fee calculator.

Estate planning attorneys in Maryland average $370 per hour for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $1,110–$2,220 for a simple individual will and $4,250–$6,375 for a basic revocable trust. Online and DIY services cost $30–$300 for the same documents — see the will cost calculator for a side-by-side comparison.

Maryland allows estates under $50,000 to use a simplified Petition for Administration of Small Estate procedure, which is a form rather than a court case and typically doesn't require an attorney. For larger estates, formal probate is involved enough that retaining counsel is usually practical — the procedural work is what they're there for. Use the Maryland probate calculator to estimate the costs.

In Maryland, the situations where retaining counsel is typically worth the cost are: blended families with children from prior relationships; ownership of a business, rental property, or significant investment assets; special-needs dependents who need a special-needs trust to preserve benefits; estates near or above the Maryland estate tax threshold; substantial property held in multiple states. If none of these describe your situation, the simpler online and DIY tools are often enough.

Estate Administration Attorneys in Maryland

Estate administration in Maryland typically takes 6 months–9 months for straightforward estates. The executor (called the personal representative in some states) is responsible for filing the will, inventorying assets, paying creditors, and distributing what's left. Maryland sets executor compensation by statute — about $19,080 on a $500,000 estate, roughly 3.8%.

Maryland attorneys average $370 an hour for wills and estates work. A basic will from an attorney runs $1,110–$2,220; online services cost $30–$300.

Maryland imposes both a state estate tax and an inheritance tax on top of the federal exemption. Families with estates near the state thresholds usually want planning help — the math gets non-trivial fast.

Estates under $50,000 in Maryland can use a simplified affidavit instead of formal probate. Most families in that range can handle it without retaining counsel.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated September 8, 2026

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Data sourced from Maryland statutes and official state code. How we research.

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