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Probate in Kentucky typically costs 2%–4% of the estate value in attorney feesReasonable compensation; no probate-specific attorney fee statute (SCR 3.130-1.5(a) general rule)Verified May 31, 2026, plus court filing fees, executor compensation, publication costs, and any required surety bond. Attorney fees in Kentucky are negotiated, so the actual cost depends on the firm and complexity. Total all-in costs typically run 3-8% of estate value. The Kentucky probate calculator gives a detailed estimate based on estate value.
Kentucky runs supervised probate as the default, meaning the court is involved at every step of the process — hearings for executor appointment, asset inventories, accounting reports, and final distributions. That procedural overhead is what drives both the cost and the timeline of Kentucky probate. It's also why living trusts are popular here: they bypass the court entirely.
Estate planning attorneys in Kentucky average $273 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025 for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $819–$1,638 for a simple individual will and $3,440–$5,160 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.
Kentucky allows estates under $30,000 to use a simplified Petition to Dispense with Administration 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 Kentucky probate calculator to estimate the costs.
In Kentucky, 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; leaving meaningful sums to non-spouse, non-child beneficiaries (Kentucky taxes those inheritances); substantial property held in multiple states. If none of these describe your situation, the simpler online and DIY tools are often enough.
Search 3,941 estate law firms across 51 states.
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.
108 firms
Named after the year Williamsburg and Whitley County were established, 1818 Law Firm serves southeastern Kentucky with estate planning, probate, trust administration, and elder law services.
Location
217 Main StreetWilliamsburg, KY 40769
Phone
(833) 844-1818
Established
2024
Service Area
5 counties
Adams Law Firm has been a staple of the Hopkins County legal community for over five decades. Chip Adams, a fifth-generation Hopkins County native, handles trusts, wills, and probate matters. The firm expanded to Hopkinsville in 2021, extending its reach across the Pennyrile region.
Location
29 East Center StreetMadisonville, KY 42431
Phone
(270) 825-1450
Service Area
5 counties
Pikeville attorney with over 8 years of experience providing probate, family law, and estate planning services to Pike County and eastern Kentucky communities.
Location
111 Caroline AvenuePikeville, KY 41501
Phone
(606) 437-6450
Service Area
3 counties
Downtown Frankfort law office providing estate planning, wills, and probate services to Franklin County and surrounding Central Kentucky communities. Attorney Jason Apollo Hart represents executors during probate and drafts wills, living wills, and powers of attorney, with free initial consultations.
Location
622 Shelby StFrankfort, KY 40601
Phone
(502) 395-3665
Service Area
8 counties
Allan E. Dunaway serves the Louisville metro area with estate planning and probate services. The firm helps clients with wills, trusts, powers of attorney, advance directives, and probate administration from offices in Louisville and Jeffersonville, Indiana.
Location
714 Lyndon Lane, Suite 4Louisville, KY 40222
Phone
(502) 412-2254
Service Area
5 counties
Bluegrass Elderlaw provides personalized estate planning solutions in Lexington including wills, trusts, powers of attorney, probate, guardianship, Medicaid and asset preservation, and long-term care planning.
Location
120 N Mill Street, Suite 201Lexington, KY 40507
Phone
(859) 281-0048
Service Area
7 counties
An Elizabethtown firm dedicated to elder law and estate planning, with a strong focus on Medicaid planning, veterans benefits, and special needs trusts. Both principal attorneys live and practice in Hardin County.
Location
2403 Ring RoadElizabethtown, KY 42701
Phone
(270) 506-0246
Service Area
7 counties
A 13-lawyer Pikeville firm practicing in eastern Kentucky for more than 75 years. Its trusts and estates attorneys draft wills and trusts and handle estate and trust administration, alongside the firm's real estate and mineral-rights work common to coal-country estates.
Location
162 Second StreetPikeville, KY 41502
Phone
(606) 437-6276
Established
1948
Service Area
5 counties
For decades, Bamberger & Brancato probate lawyers in Owensboro have assisted clients with estate planning, probate administration, and elder law needs throughout western Kentucky.
Location
111 W 2nd StreetOwensboro, KY 42303
Phone
(270) 926-5050
Established
1981
Service Area
4 counties
Founded in 2017, Berkley Oliver provides estate planning, probate, and elder law services to seniors and families in Shelby County and throughout central Kentucky. The firm helps families plan for long-term care and asset preservation.
Location
77 Mack Walters Rd, Suite 200Shelbyville, KY 40065
Phone
(502) 205-9005
Established
2017
Service Area
6 counties