Estate planning attorneys in New Mexico average $321Clio Compare Lawyer Rates, New Mexico: Wills and Estates rate (2025 data)Verified Oct 15, 2026View source an hour for wills and estates work. A flat-fee package runs $963Estimate: 3 hours at $321, Clio's New Mexico Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $1,926Estimate: 6 hours at $321, Clio's New Mexico Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for a simple individual will and $3,510Estimate: 10 hours at $351, Clio's New Mexico Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,265Estimate: 15 hours at $351, Clio's New Mexico Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source for a basic revocable trust. An online service prices the same documents in the tens to low hundreds of dollars; the New Mexico will cost calculator sets the two side by side.
In New Mexico, estates valued at $50,000§ 45-3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less skip probate with the Small Estate Affidavit§ 45-3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, 30 days§ 45-3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source after death. That route is a form rather than a court case, and most families handle it without an attorney. Above the line, formal probate generally benefits from counsel for the procedural work, even when nothing is contested. The New Mexico probate calculator estimates the cost by estate value.
In New Mexico, the situations where counsel is typically worth the cost are: a blended family with children from a prior relationship (community property rulesNMSA § 45-2-102Verified Sep 10, 2026View source can produce a surprising split); a business, rental property or significant investment assets; a dependent with special needs, who needs a special-needs trust to keep benefits; substantial property in more than one state. Where none of these apply, an online or self-help document is often enough.
Filter the directory by county and by the practice area you need, and look for experience with your situation; a board certification in estate planning, trust or probate law is a strong signal. Most New Mexico estate planning attorneys offer an initial consultation, some free and some for a flat fee. Ask up front whether the firm bills by the hour or by package, and what your situation is expected to cost.
Free New Mexico forms for planning an estate or settling one: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed, and the probate forms an executor files.
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
In New Mexico, a will is signed before 2NMSA § 45-2-502Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyNMSA § 45-2-502Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
New Mexico requires neither witnesses nor a notaryNMSA 1978 § 24-7A-4Verified Oct 15, 2026View source for a healthcare power of attorney.
New Mexico treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultNMSA §§ 45-5B-101 through 45-5B-403 (HB0231, Laws 2007, ch. 135; recompiled by Laws 2011, ch. 124)Verified Sep 18, 2026View source, and it is signed with no witness or notary requirementNMSA §§ 45-5B-101 through 45-5B-403 (HB0231, Laws 2007, ch. 135; recompiled by Laws 2011, ch. 124)Verified Sep 18, 2026View source.
In New Mexico, a pour-over will is signed before 2NMSA § 45-2-502Verified Oct 19, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.
In New Mexico, a transfer on death deed is signed before a notaryNMSA 45-6-401 to 45-6-417Verified Oct 19, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathNMSA 45-6-401 to 45-6-417Verified Oct 19, 2026View source.
Free calculators and checklists for planning or settling an estate in New Mexico: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay, and inheritance taxes.
In New Mexico, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 1.8%NMSA § 45-3-715(A)(21) (PR may employ attorneys to advise or assist in administration); § 45-3-721 (court may review the reasonableness of the compensation of any person so employed); § 45-3-720 (expenses in estate litigation, incl. reasonable attorneys fees); no statutory percentageVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.9%NMSA § 45-3-715(A)(21) (PR may employ attorneys to advise or assist in administration); § 45-3-721 (court may review the reasonableness of the compensation of any person so employed); § 45-3-720 (expenses in estate litigation, incl. reasonable attorneys fees); no statutory percentageVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
Probate in New Mexico takes 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 1.8%NMSA § 45-3-715(A)(21) (PR may employ attorneys to advise or assist in administration); § 45-3-721 (court may review the reasonableness of the compensation of any person so employed); § 45-3-720 (expenses in estate litigation, incl. reasonable attorneys fees); no statutory percentageVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.9%NMSA § 45-3-715(A)(21) (PR may employ attorneys to advise or assist in administration); § 45-3-721 (court may review the reasonableness of the compensation of any person so employed); § 45-3-720 (expenses in estate litigation, incl. reasonable attorneys fees); no statutory percentageVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.
Probate on a $500,000 estate in New Mexico costs an estimated $24,985NMSA § 45-3-715(A)(21) (PR may employ attorneys to advise or assist in administration); § 45-3-721 (court may review the reasonableness of the compensation of any person so employed); § 45-3-720 (expenses in estate litigation, incl. reasonable attorneys fees); no statutory percentageVerified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 1.8%NMSA § 45-3-715(A)(21) (PR may employ attorneys to advise or assist in administration); § 45-3-721 (court may review the reasonableness of the compensation of any person so employed); § 45-3-720 (expenses in estate litigation, incl. reasonable attorneys fees); no statutory percentageVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.9%NMSA § 45-3-715(A)(21) (PR may employ attorneys to advise or assist in administration); § 45-3-721 (court may review the reasonableness of the compensation of any person so employed); § 45-3-720 (expenses in estate litigation, incl. reasonable attorneys fees); no statutory percentageVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.
Probate on a $500,000 estate in New Mexico costs an estimated $24,985NMSA § 45-3-715(A)(21) (PR may employ attorneys to advise or assist in administration); § 45-3-721 (court may review the reasonableness of the compensation of any person so employed); § 45-3-720 (expenses in estate litigation, incl. reasonable attorneys fees); no statutory percentageVerified Sep 8, 2026View source and takes 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 1.8%NMSA § 45-3-715(A)(21) (PR may employ attorneys to advise or assist in administration); § 45-3-721 (court may review the reasonableness of the compensation of any person so employed); § 45-3-720 (expenses in estate litigation, incl. reasonable attorneys fees); no statutory percentageVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 2.9%NMSA § 45-3-715(A)(21) (PR may employ attorneys to advise or assist in administration); § 45-3-721 (court may review the reasonableness of the compensation of any person so employed); § 45-3-720 (expenses in estate litigation, incl. reasonable attorneys fees); no statutory percentageVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate. Estates under $50,000§ 45-3-1201Verified Sep 8, 2026View source can use a small-estate procedure instead.
Settling an estate in New Mexico: the personal representative files the estate inventory within 90 daysNMSA § 45-3-706Verified Sep 15, 2026View source of appointment; creditors have 4 monthsNMSA §§ 45-3-801, 45-3-803, 45-3-806, 45-3-1006Verified Oct 19, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months.
An attorney-prepared revocable trust in New Mexico runs $3,510Estimate: 10 hours at $351, Clio's New Mexico Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,265Estimate: 15 hours at $351, Clio's New Mexico Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $963Estimate: 3 hours at $321, Clio's New Mexico Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $1,926Estimate: 6 hours at $321, Clio's New Mexico Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.
54 estate planning firms in New Mexico: probate, trust administration, and estate planning, by county and practice area.
Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to discuss your situation and verify their current practice areas and availability.
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54 firms
Solo PracticeAlbuquerque, NM
Bruce J. Puma Jr. established Albuquerque Legal & Fiduciary in 2015. As both an attorney and a CPA, he has an extensive background in accounting and law, providing estate planning and fiduciary services.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateGuardianshipFiduciary Services
Solo PracticeRuidoso, NM
Alan P. Morel has practiced in Ruidoso since 1989 and serves Lincoln County and surrounding southeast New Mexico communities. He has served as outside counsel for Lincoln County, the Ruidoso Board of Realtors, Cablevision Communications, and Mescalero Apache Telecom alongside his estate planning and probate practice.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateAdministrative LawBusiness Planningand 2 more
FirmAlbuquerque, NM
Serves Bernalillo County families from downtown Albuquerque. Handles estate planning, wills and trusts, probate, and trust litigation, alongside the tax questions that surface when an estate is settled. Gerald E. Bischoff has practiced in Albuquerque since 1977.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateTrust LitigationTax Planningand 3 more
FirmDeming, NM
Serves Luna, Grant, and Sierra counties from Deming. Handles estate planning, wills and trusts, probate, and the real-estate transfers that follow a death, alongside business matters.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateBusiness PlanningReal Estateand 2 more
FirmAlbuquerque, NM
A second-generation Albuquerque firm serving Bernalillo County and the surrounding metro. Handles estate planning, wills and trusts, probate, and the tax questions that come with them, with a practice concentrated in trusts and estates for more than 46 years.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateTax PlanningBusiness Planningand 2 more
Solo PracticeAlbuquerque, NM
Tom Brown began the practice of law in 1986 and has throughout his 32+ year career focused on legal matters related to trusts and estates, wills, estate planning, probate and trust administration.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateIrrevocable Trustsand 2 more
FirmAlbuquerque, NM
Albuquerque firm serving Bernalillo County and clients across New Mexico since 1959. Its commercial section handles wills, estate planning, and probate, backed by a large civil-litigation bench when an estate turns contested.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationWills
FirmAlbuquerque, NM
Cristy J. Carbon-Gaul leads a firm focused exclusively on estate planning and related matters with over 20 years of experience. The firm serves clients throughout New Mexico, from Albuquerque to Las Cruces.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateConservatorshipGuardianshipand 2 more
FirmSanta Fe, NM
Serves Santa Fe County and northern New Mexico from Santa Fe. Handles estate planning, wills, trusts, and probate. Founded in 1866, it is the oldest law firm in New Mexico, and Fletcher R. Catron is a Fellow of the American College of Trust and Estate Counsel.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateTrustsWills
FirmSanta Fe, NM
Serves Santa Fe and Albuquerque from offices in both cities, with statewide reach. Handles estate planning, probate, trust administration, and fiduciary matters. Founded in Santa Fe in 1917.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateFiduciary Mattersand 2 more
FirmHobbs, NM
Crenshaw, Dupree & Milam is a Texas-based firm that opened a Hobbs, New Mexico office in 2018 to serve Lea County and southeastern New Mexico. Kathleen A. Moran practices in corporate law, business transactions, probate, estate administration, and estate planning.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateBusiness PlanningReal Estate
Solo PracticeLas Cruces, NM
Dana M. Kyle has over 30 years' experience in estate planning, business, and real estate law, serving southern New Mexico for over 20 years. The firm has earned the AV Preeminent rating from Martindale-Hubbell.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateBusiness Planning
Solo PracticeTaos, NM
Richard De Stefano has been practicing law for over 40 years, the first half in Beverly Hills, California, and since 1995 in Taos, New Mexico. The firm handles wills, living trusts, insurance trusts, charitable trusts, asset protection, probate and non-probate administration.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateBusiness PlanningReal Estateand 2 more
Solo PracticeLas Cruces, NM
Serves Doña Ana County and southern New Mexico from Las Cruces. Focuses on elder law and estate planning — Medicaid planning, guardianships and conservatorships, probate, and trust administration — after 30 years in practice. Michele Ungvarsky is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 3 more
Solo PracticeTaos, NM
Founded by Kelan Emery in 1987, the firm serves clients in northern New Mexico in wills, trusts, estate planning, probate, estate administration, and business entity formation. One of the longest-established estate planning practices in Taos County.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateBusiness PlanningTrustsWills
FirmRuidoso, NM
Serves Lincoln County and south-central New Mexico from Ruidoso. Handles wills, probate, and estate administration alongside family law, criminal defense, and personal injury. A two-attorney office, with Pamela Beckman admitted in 1983 and Freda McSwane in 2003.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateCriminal DefenseFamily Lawand 2 more
Solo PracticeSanta Fe, NM
Serves Santa Fe County families from a Santa Fe office. Handles wills, trusts, probate, and estate administration, including planning for minor children and beneficiaries with special needs, alongside a separate art and cultural-heritage law practice.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateGuardianshipTrustsWills
Solo PracticeRoswell, NM
Attorney Jeff Grandjean has been practicing in Roswell since 2011, representing clients in Roswell, Carlsbad, Artesia, Hobbs, Alamogordo, and throughout southeastern New Mexico.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateGuardianship
Solo PracticeHobbs, NM
Scotty A. Holloman serves Lea County from Hobbs, continuing the estate practice of Maddox, Holloman & Kirksey as a solo firm. His State Bar profile declares estate planning, taxation, probate and wills alongside business and natural-resources work — the oil-and-gas pairing common to Permian Basin estates. He is also licensed in Texas, which covers estates straddling the state line.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateTax PlanningBusiness PlanningWills
FirmSanta Fe, NM
Serves Santa Fe County and north-central New Mexico from Santa Fe, with a second office in Albuquerque. Handles estate planning, trust administration and probate, plus adult guardianship and conservatorship and special-needs planning for families managing an incapacitated relative.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 4 more
