Probate in New Hampshire runs about $26,585 on a $500,000 estate — attorney feesNH Circuit Court Probate Division Rule 88 (reasonable compensation for work, responsibility, and risk; no statutory percentage)Verified Sep 8, 2026, court filing fees, executor compensation, publication costs, and any required surety bond. Attorney fees in New Hampshire are negotiated, so the actual cost depends on the firm and complexity. The New Hampshire probate calculator gives a detailed estimate based on estate value.
New Hampshire allows "independent administration" (sometimes called unsupervised or informal probate), which lets the executor handle most estate decisions without ongoing court approval. The executor still files the will, inventories assets, and reports to the court, but doesn't need a hearing for routine actions like paying bills or selling assets. Independent administration typically saves both time and attorney fees compared to supervised probate.
Estate planning attorneys in New Hampshire average $360 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025 for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $1,080–$2,160 for a simple individual will and $3,360–$5,040 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.
New Hampshire requires nearly all estates to go through formal probate. Most families retain an attorney for this — the procedural overhead is what counsel is there to absorb. Living trusts are the most common workaround for families that want to skip the process entirely.
In New Hampshire, 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; substantial property held in multiple states. If none of these describe your situation, the simpler online and DIY tools are often enough.
49 probate firms in New Hampshire, by county and firm type.
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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49 firms
FirmManchester, NH
Providing experienced legal representation throughout New Hampshire and Northern New England for more than 40 years. Handles full range of trust, estate, probate, and guardianship matters.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 2 more
FirmManchester, NH
Manchester firm founded in 1937, now 75-plus attorneys across five offices in New Hampshire, Massachusetts, and Vermont. Its Trusts and Estates group represents individuals and families in probate and trust administration, estate and gift tax planning, and contested estate matters. Mark Bartram co-chairs the group from the Manchester office.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateTax Planning
FirmAmherst, NH
Amherst firm serving Hillsborough County families, with a second office in Concord. Handles estate planning, probate and trust administration, and elder-law and Medicaid planning. Peter Moustakis has served on the board of the New Hampshire chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys. Offers a free initial consultation for estate planning.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 3 more
FirmConcord, NH
Long-established Concord firm serving clients across New England from its Capitol Street office since the 19th century. Handles all aspects of trust and estate administration and probate, including federal estate and gift tax matters, and maintains a separate probate-litigation practice for contested estates and fiduciary disputes.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 2 more
FirmConcord, NH
Concord firm in practice since 1908, with offices in Peterborough, Portsmouth, Laconia, and Lancaster reaching families across the state. Handles probate and trust administration alongside wills, trusts, and elder-law and business-succession planning. Took in Martin, Lord & Osman, P.A. in 2025, adding its Laconia and Lancaster estate and probate attorneys.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 3 more
FirmKeene, NH
Estate planning and elder law firm in Keene serving Cheshire County and the Monadnock Region since 1979. Attorneys Nathan G. Chaffee and Sarah Frankel handle probate and trust administration, wills and trusts, powers of attorney, and elder-law planning. Founders Richard and David Ward retired in 2011 and 2021; the firm continues under their successors.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateElder LawTax Planningand 3 more
FirmWolfeboro, NH
Located in downtown Wolfeboro, the attorneys at Walker & Varney have decades of combined experience serving clients throughout New Hampshire and the Lakes Region. A fixture in Wolfeboro since 1982.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateTrustsWills
FirmNashua, NH
Nashua's largest multi-practice law firm, founded in 1978. Sean Davidson focuses on estate planning, wills, trusts, probate, and guardianships, previously working at the NH Attorney General's Charitable Trusts Unit.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateGuardianshipTrustsWills
FirmDover, NH
Mid-size firm serving New England for nearly 40 years. Michael Bolduc leads the estate planning practice, focusing on wills, trusts, estate administration, and business entity formation.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbatePowers Of Attorneyand 2 more
Free New Hampshire forms and tools to get started.
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
Create a free, state-specific will with witness and notarization requirements included.
Estimate attorney fees, executor fees, court costs, and timeline for probating an estate in your state. See if the estate qualifies for simplified probate procedures.
Get a personalized plan for settling an estate after someone passes away. Covers trust administration, probate, and intestate estates.
Calculate how much an executor (personal representative) can charge for administering an estate. See if your state has statutory fees or uses reasonable compensation.
Answer a few questions to find out if an estate needs full probate, qualifies for simplified probate, or can avoid probate entirely with a small estate affidavit.
See when creditors must file claims, what notice you must publish, whether direct notice is required, and the statutory priority for paying debts. Enter dates to calculate specific deadlines.