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Tennessee follows the "reasonable compensation" standard for trusteesTenn. Code Ann. § 35-15-708Verified May 27, 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 Tennessee trustee compensation calculator breaks it down by trust situation.
Trust administration in Tennessee is typically faster than probate because trusts don't require court supervision. The main floor is the creditor claim period — 4 months in Tennessee — 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 Tennessee trustee checklist for the full process.
Estate planning attorneys in Tennessee average $301 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025 for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $903–$1,806 for a simple individual will and $3,150–$4,725 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.
Tennessee allows estates under $50,000 to use a simplified Small Estate Probate Act Petition 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 Tennessee probate calculator to estimate the costs.
In Tennessee, 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 3,941 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.
27 firms
Baker Donelson is one of the largest law firms in the U.S., and its Nashville office serves Davidson County and clients statewide. The trusts and estates group handles probate estate administration, revocable and irrevocable trust administration, estate and trust litigation, and estate planning, with tax and fiduciary-litigation support.
Location
1600 West End Avenue, Suite 2000Nashville, TN 37203
Phone
(615) 726-5600
Service Area
Statewide
Batson Nolan PLC is one of Tennessee's oldest law firms, established in 1860, with offices in Clarksville, Springfield, and Brentwood. The estate planning and probate team handles wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and probate administration for Montgomery County and surrounding areas.
Location
2678 Townsend CourtClarksville, TN 37043
Phone
(931) 650-5484
Established
1860
Service Area
2 counties
Buhrman Law Firm is a cornerstone law firm of Chattanooga for over 50 years. A father-son law firm rated AV by Martindale-Hubbell that practices in the areas of estate planning, wills, trusts, probate, trust and estate administration, business law, tax issues, conservatorships and guardianships, elder law, and Special Needs Trusts.
Location
345 Frazier Avenue, Suite 210, The Terrace at FrazierChattanooga, TN 37405
Phone
(423) 266-5691
Service Area
1 county
The Burd Law Firm has handled thousands of estate planning and probate matters over the past decade and refined their processes to eliminate unnecessary steps for clients and reduce delays. Alex Burd is licensed in Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia, serving clients throughout the tri-state area.
Location
412 Georgia Ave, Suite 102Chattanooga, TN 37403
Phone
(423) 777-6116
Service Area
1 county
Burch, Porter & Johnson has been serving as estate planning attorneys in the Memphis area for more than a century, founded in 1904. The firm has 27 lawyers in the 2026 edition of Best Lawyers in America, with seven attorneys named "Lawyer of the Year." Services include estate planning, administering estates and trusts, guardianships and conservatorships, and tax planning.
Location
130 North Court AvenueMemphis, TN 38103
Phone
(901) 524-5000
Established
1904
Service Area
1 county
Carpenter & Lewis PLLC has served Knoxville and Knox County since 1989, handling estate planning, probate, and trust administration. The firm has guided over 6,000 clients through wills, trusts, asset protection, and powers of attorney, and offers a free initial consultation.
Location
10413 Kingston Pike, Suite 200Knoxville, TN 37922
Phone
(865) 690-4997
Established
1989
Service Area
1 county
Chambliss, Bahner & Stophel, founded in 1886, handles estate planning and administration for Hamilton, Bradley, and Marion county families from Chattanooga's Liberty Tower. The estate team includes resident CPAs, licensed social workers, and two of the few Certified Elder Law Attorneys in the Southeast, handling trusts, special-needs and dynasty trusts, Medicaid planning, and conservatorships.
Location
605 Chestnut Street, Suite 1700, Liberty TowerChattanooga, TN 37450
Phone
(423) 756-3000
Established
1886
Service Area
3 counties
Cook Tillman Law Group in Brentwood is a boutique law firm that exclusively handles estate planning, probate, business law, and trust administration matters for clients throughout Middle Tennessee. Russ Cook was the first attorney recognized as an Estate Planning Specialist by the Tennessee Board of Certification and Specialization.
Location
5141 Virginia Way, Suite 220Brentwood, TN 37027
Phone
(615) 370-2444
Service Area
2 counties
Emmack Probate and Estate Law Group in Franklin provides estate planning, probate administration, and litigation services with personalized legal support. Attorney Shanone Emmack has been selected multiple times as a Super Lawyer by Thomson Reuters for outstanding professional achievement in trust litigation, conservatorships, wills, powers of attorney, and estate planning.
Location
219 3rd Ave NFranklin, TN 37064
Phone
(615) 920-0906
Service Area
1 county
Evans Petree PC, founded in 1907, offers comprehensive tax, trusts and estate planning services in Memphis, Tennessee. The firm has multiple Certified Estate Planning Law Specialists and Best Lawyers in America honorees in its trusts and estates practice.
Location
1715 Aaron Brenner Drive, Suite 800Memphis, TN 38120
Phone
(901) 525-6781
Established
1907
Service Area
1 county