New Hampshire follows the "reasonable compensation" standard for trusteesRSA 564-B:7-708; RSA 564-B:7-709; RSA 564-B:7-710; RSA 564:21; NH Prob. Div. R. 88Verified Sep 18, 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 trustee can shorten the creditor-claim window to 12 months by publishing New Hampshire's optional notice; otherwise the general 36 months period governs before final distributions are safe. 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 trust settlement plan 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 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.
32 trust administration 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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32 firms
FirmConcord, NH
Concord firm handling trusts and estates for individuals and fiduciaries across New Hampshire, in practice since 1946. Work spans estate and trust administration, administration of irrevocable trusts, and probate litigation, including disputes among beneficiaries and fiduciaries.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate Litigationand 4 more
FirmConcord, NH
Concord firm, with a Rochester office, advising executors, trustees, families, and institutions on trust and estate administration and related estate-tax issues. Represents fiduciaries in probate and trust disputes, including litigation and mediation. In estate practice since 1979.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateTax Planning
FirmPortsmouth, NH
Portsmouth boutique firm concentrating on probate and trust administration for New Hampshire estates. Handles probate and trust administration, special-needs trusts, estate and gift tax planning, guardianship, and probate litigation, coordinating with clients' financial advisors and accountants.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 3 more
Solo PracticePortsmouth, NH
Portsmouth boutique firm on the Seacoast working exclusively in estate planning, trusts, probate, and elder law. Handles probate and trust administration, uncontested guardianships, and long-term-care planning, with tax-driven planning for simple and complex estates.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 3 more
FirmPlymouth, NH
Plymouth practice serving Grafton, Coos, Carroll, and Belknap County families since 1985. Attorneys Ora Schwartzberg and Christopher M. West build trust-based plans that keep a home out of probate and out of a court-supervised guardianship, plus durable powers of attorney and health care proxies. Meets by video conference for clients across northern New Hampshire.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateMediationand 3 more
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
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
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.
Transfer assets to your existing trust. State execution requirements included.
Find out what's fair compensation for serving as trustee. Compare family, professional, and corporate trustee rates based on your situation.
Get a personalized plan for settling an estate after someone passes away. Covers trust administration, probate, and intestate estates.
See which federal and state tax returns need to be filed after a death. Check income tax, estate tax, and fiduciary return requirements with deadlines, form links, and tax clearance rules.
Estimate the stepped-up basis on inherited stock, real estate, or business interests. Project federal and state capital gains tax with vs. without the step-up to see how much it saves at sale.