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Montana follows the "reasonable compensation" standard for trusteesMont. Code Ann. § 72-38-708Verified Jun 12, 2026. Courts decide what's reasonable on a case-by-case basis, looking at trust size, complexity, and the trustee's actual work. Family-member trustees often waive the fee entirely. Professional trustees (banks, trust companies, attorneys) typically charge between 0.5% and 1.5% of trust assets per year, with corporate fiduciaries usually applying minimum annual fees. The Montana trustee compensation calculator breaks it down by trust situation.
Trust administration in Montana is typically faster than probate because trusts don't require court supervision. The main floor is the creditor claim period — 4 months in Montana — during which the trustee can't safely make final distributions. Simple trusts often wrap up in 6-9 months; trusts that hold business interests, real property in multiple states, or that need to file estate tax returns can take longer. See the Montana trustee checklist for the full process.
Estate planning attorneys in Montana average $319 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025 for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $957–$1,914 for a simple individual will and $3,620–$5,430 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.
Montana has a generous small-estate threshold of $100,000. Estates under that line can use the Collection of Personal Property by Affidavit procedure, which is a form rather than a court case — most families can handle it without an attorney. For estates above the threshold, formal probate generally benefits from counsel because of the procedural overhead, even when nothing is contested. The Montana probate calculator estimates total costs based on estate value.
In Montana, 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.
Search 4,004 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.
15 firms
Billings-based estate planning law firm founded in 2020. Guides clients through estate planning, estate and trust administration, probate, asset protection planning, kids protection planning, business law, agricultural law, water law, and real estate law.
Location
100 N 27th Street, Suite 350Billings, MT 59101
Phone
(406) 206-5959
Established
2020
Service Area
4 counties
Billings business-and-tax firm whose estate planning, probate, and trust administration group serves clients across Montana. Handles estate administration and will contests, and advises trustees, personal representatives, and court-appointed guardians and conservators. Work skews toward business owners, farm and ranch families, and estates with tax or succession complexity.
Location
1555 Campus Way, Suite 201Billings, MT 59102
Phone
(406) 656-6551
Formerly Bjornson Jones Mungas, PLLC. Over fifty years of combined experience in transactional, business and corporate law, contracts, real estate law, estate planning and probate administration, finance, and tax law. Serves clients throughout Montana and Washington.
Location
2809 Great Northern Loop, Suite 100Missoula, MT 59808
Phone
(406) 721-8896
Service Area
Statewide
Bozeman firm serving estate and probate clients throughout the Gallatin Valley. Guides personal representatives and trustees through Montana probate and post-death trust administration, from asset inventory to distribution to beneficiaries. The practice ranges from simple wills and living trusts to tax-driven and asset-protection planning.
Location
11 East Main Street, Suites B & DBozeman, MT 59715
Phone
(406) 586-8565
Service Area
2 counties
Statewide law firm providing estate planning, elder law, business succession planning, and probate administration services from offices in Helena, Bozeman, Great Falls, and Missoula.
Location
139 N Last Chance Gulch, Suite 201Helena, MT 59601
Phone
(406) 443-6820
Service Area
Statewide
Local Butte-Silver Bow attorney focusing on estate planning, probate, trust administration, guardianship, small business, family law, real estate law, and tax delinquency. Serves the everyday people of Butte-Silver Bow and surrounding communities.
Location
444 E Park StreetButte, MT 59701
Phone
(406) 920-9998
Service Area
3 counties
Over 125 years of experience with more than 150 lawyers practicing from 11 offices in 3 states. Extensive experience in advising commercial and individual clients in complex probate and estate planning matters including wills, revocable trusts, financial and healthcare powers of attorney, charitable giving, and various trust planning alternatives.
Location
490 N 31st St, Suite 500Billings, MT 59101
Phone
(406) 252-3441
Service Area
Statewide
Established in 1974, this Missoula law firm has 12 lawyers practicing general trial practice, banking law, and estate planning. Experienced in representing clients in the preparation of wills, trusts, and durable powers of attorney, as well as representation of trustees, personal representatives, and beneficiaries in trust and probate proceedings.
Location
201 W Main StreetMissoula, MT 59802
Phone
(406) 728-0810
Established
1974
Service Area
4 counties
Missoula firm founded in 1870, serving western Montana from the Fourth Judicial District. Handles probate administration, from asset inventory and creditor notice to debt settlement and distribution, plus estate and trust disputes including will contests and breach-of-fiduciary-duty claims. Drafts wills, revocable and irrevocable trusts, powers of attorney, and business-succession plans.
Location
350 Ryman StMissoula, MT 59802
Phone
(406) 523-2500
Established
1870
Service Area
4 counties
Serves western and central Montana from Missoula (Missoula County, Fourth Judicial District), handling probate administration, will and trust drafting, and estate settlement alongside its insurance-litigation practice. Attorneys guide personal representatives through asset inventory, creditor notice, and distribution. Free consultations available; the firm also maintains an Arizona office.
Location
2425 W Central Avenue, Suite 200Missoula, MT 59801
Phone
(406) 203-9303
Service Area
Statewide