Probate in New Mexico runs about $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 on a $500,000 estate: 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, plus the court filing fee, executor compensation, publication and any surety bond. The New Mexico probate calculator estimates the cost by estate value.
New Mexico allows independent administrationNMSA § 45-3-704 (PR proceeds without adjudication, order or direction of the district court unless supervised)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source (unsupervised or informal probate), under which the executor handles most decisions without ongoing court approval. The executor still files the will, inventories the assets and reports to the court, but needs no hearing for a routine step such as paying a bill or selling an asset. It typically saves both time and attorney fees against supervised probate.
Estate planning attorneys in New Mexico average $321Clio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jul 1, 2026View source an hour for wills and estates work. A flat-fee package runs $963Clio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jul 1, 2026View source to $1,926Clio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jul 1, 2026View source for a simple individual will and $3,510Clio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jul 1, 2026View source to $5,265Clio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jul 1, 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.
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 Sep 16, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyNMSA § 45-2-502Verified Sep 16, 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.
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.
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 Sep 15, 2026View source to present claims; a simple estate closes in 4 months to 6 months.
New Mexico pays executors reasonable compensationNMSA § 45-3-719 (reasonable compensation; no statutory percentage); § 45-3-721 (court review of reasonableness)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, typically 2.2%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.8%Estimated from the 16 state statutes that set an executor fee schedule (median and interquartile range at this estate value)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate.
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.
In New Mexico, creditors have 4 monthsNMSA § 45-3-801 (four months from first publication; sixty days from mailed notice, whichever is later); § 45-3-803 (claims barred at the earlier of one year after death or the § 45-3-801 periods)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source from first publication of the creditor notice to present claims; late claims are barred.
New Mexico has no statewide fill-in probate petition, so the opening petition is drafted as a legal pleading, and informal probate is availableNMSA §§ 45-3-301, 45-3-302, 45-3-307 (application to the probate or district court; written statement of informal probate and informal appointment without hearing)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
53 probate firms in New Mexico, 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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53 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