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New Hampshire follows the "reasonable compensation" standard for trusteesRSA 564-B:7-708; RSA 564-B:7-709; RSA 564-B:7-710; NH Prob. Div. R. 88Verified May 31, 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 New Hampshire trustee compensation calculator breaks it down by trust situation.
Trust administration in New Hampshire is typically faster than probate because trusts don't require court supervision. The main floor is the creditor claim period — 12 months in New Hampshire — 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 New Hampshire trustee checklist for the full process.
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 allows estates under $10,000 to use a simplified Waiver of 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 New Hampshire probate calculator to estimate the costs.
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.
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.
33 firms
Solo practitioner in Laconia serving the Lakes Region with over 30 years of legal experience. Licensed in New Hampshire, Maine, and federal courts for NH, ME, and VT. U.S. Navy veteran with 5 years active duty and 22 years reserve service.
Location
261 South Main StreetLaconia, NH 03246
Phone
(603) 403-5231
Established
2000
Service Area
2 counties
Bedford firm serving Hillsborough, Rockingham, and Merrimack County families, in estate and trust practice since 1994. Handles testate and intestate probate administration, trust administration with beneficiary accountings, and federal estate, gift, and fiduciary income tax returns.
Location
40 South River Road, Suite 32Bedford, NH 03110
Phone
(603) 644-8211
Established
1994
Serves Dover and the New Hampshire Seacoast (Strafford County) from First Street, representing executors and administrators statewide. Handles probate administration end to end: will filing and intestacy, asset collection, creditor-claim review, beneficiary notice, accounting, and distribution. Offers a free initial consultation.
Location
100 First Street, Suite 114Dover, NH 03820
Phone
(877) 734-0777
Manchester practice serving Hillsborough and Merrimack County families (and Massachusetts), focused on estate planning, probate, and trust administration. Handles wills, trusts, powers of attorney, probate and trust estate administration, asset protection, and adult guardianships. Offers a free consultation.
Location
91 Middle StreetManchester, NH 03101
Phone
(603) 628-1900
Established
2001
Service Area
2 counties
Attorneys focus exclusively on estate planning and settlement, elder law and advocacy. Merged with Legacy Counsellors in January 2025 to form Legacy Counsellors North, PLLC. Employs two lawyers and eight estate planning and administration assistants, providing concentrated expertise in trust and estate matters across the Upper Valley.
Location
367 Route 120, Suite B-6Lebanon, NH 03766
Phone
(603) 643-7577
Established
1994
Service Area
2 counties
Hampton's oldest law firm with 6 lawyers and 7 paralegals. All attorneys have over 20 years of experience. The firm has provided continuous legal representation in the NH Seacoast for over 65 years.
Location
459 Lafayette RoadHampton, NH 03842
Phone
(603) 926-6336
Established
1960
Service Area
1 county
Laconia firm serving the Lakes Region and Belknap County through the local probate court. Handles probate representation, trust administration, and guardianships alongside estate planning, real estate, and business work. Attorney Susanne Chisholm has practiced estate planning and probate in New Hampshire since 1994.
Location
755 North Main StreetLaconia, NH 03247
Phone
(603) 528-2900
Established
2012
Service Area
1 county
The largest law firm north of the Lakes Region in New Hampshire. The estate planning group handles everything from simple wills to complex plans including asset preservation, revocable and irrevocable trusts, gifting programs, and generation-skipping trusts.
Location
2935 White Mountain HighwayNorth Conway, NH 03860
Phone
(603) 356-5439
Established
1978
Service Area
2 counties
Long-established Manchester firm with Concord and Portsmouth offices, serving New Hampshire families through the state's probate courts. Handles probate administration of estates and trust administration, and represents estates and trusts before the IRS and NH Department of Revenue on estate and gift tax matters. The estate group is led by firm president Anu Mullikin.
Location
111 Amherst StreetManchester, NH 03101
Phone
(603) 669-1000
Service Area
Statewide
Provides legal services in estate planning, probate, and trust administration to clients in the Lakes Region. Kristen Gardiner has over 30 years of experience in transactional real estate and estate planning across multiple states.
Location
36 Country Club Road, Suite 915, Village West TwoGilford, NH 03249
Phone
(603) 524-4131
Service Area
6 counties