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Vermont follows the "reasonable compensation" standard for trustees14A V.S.A. § 708Verified Jun 11, 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 Vermont trustee compensation calculator breaks it down by trust situation.
Trust administration in Vermont is typically faster than probate because trusts don't require court supervision. The main floor is the creditor claim period — 4 months in Vermont — 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 Vermont trustee checklist for the full process.
Estate planning attorneys in Vermont average $297 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025 for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $891–$1,782 for a simple individual will and $2,400–$3,600 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.
Vermont allows estates under $45,000 to use a simplified Small Estate 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 Vermont probate calculator to estimate the costs.
In Vermont, 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; estates near or above the Vermont estate tax threshold; 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.
29 firms
Essex Junction firm serving Chittenden County and northwestern Vermont through the Vermont Probate Division. Represents executors and administrators through estate administration, and drafts wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and Medicaid and special-needs plans. Most estate planning work is billed on a flat-fee basis for cost predictability.
Location
34 Pearl StreetEssex Junction, VT 05452
Phone
(802) 879-6304
Century-old Burlington firm handling probate estate administration and trust administration across Vermont, including probate and trust litigation. Settles estates of all sizes, prepares estate tax returns, and administers charitable trusts and private foundations. Trust and estate litigation is backed by the firm's larger litigation group.
Location
209 Battery StreetBurlington, VT 05402
Phone
(802) 864-5751
Statewide Vermont firm with offices in Burlington, Montpelier, St. Johnsbury, and Brattleboro handling estate planning, probate, and trust administration. Represents fiduciaries through estate and trust settlement and post-mortem tax planning, including complex and multi-state estates. Its trusts and estates group includes an ACTEC fellow serving as Vermont state chair.
Location
199 Main Street, Suite 600Burlington, VT 05401
Phone
(802) 863-2375
Service Area
Statewide
Burlington firm handling all phases of probate, estate, and trust administration through the Vermont Probate Division. Settles estates from modest to multi-million-dollar, advises executors and trustees, and litigates contested matters like will contests and creditor claims. Estate planning ranges from simple wills to sophisticated trusts.
Location
76 St. Paul Street, 7th FloorBurlington, VT 05401
Phone
(802) 658-0220
Solo Essex Junction practice serving Chittenden County families in the local Probate Division. Holly Lemieux drafts wills and trusts, handles Medicaid and incapacity planning, sets up special-needs trusts, and walks executors through probate and trust administration. Initial estate planning consultations are free.
Location
21 Carmichael Street, Suite 201Essex Junction, VT 05452
Phone
(802) 871-5410
South Burlington firm concentrating solely on estate planning, probate, and elder law across Chittenden County. Files wills with the probate division, administers estates and trusts, and handles adult guardianship and supplemental-needs trusts for long-term-care planning. Of-counsel Glenn Jarrett is a Certified Elder Law Attorney (CELA).
Location
1795 Williston Road, Suite 125South Burlington, VT 05403
Phone
(802) 864-5951
Montpelier firm serving Washington County and central Vermont, with attorneys experienced in guiding executors and family members through Vermont probate. The estate practice drafts wills, trusts, advance directives, and powers of attorney, and structures plans for blended families to control how assets pass. It also handles estate administration and probate-avoidance planning.
Location
PO Box 1093Montpelier, VT 05601
Phone
(802) 223-4971
Established
2012
Waterbury Center practice offering estate planning, probate and estate administration, and family law services. Attorneys can meet clients at homes, offices, courthouses, hospitals, or care facilities rather than requiring office visits.
Location
3737 Waterbury Stowe RoadWaterbury Center, VT 05677
Phone
(802) 477-3434
Helps clients throughout Vermont with estate planning, wills, trusts and estates, probate and trust administrations. Attorneys specialize in estate and tax planning matters. Serves Rutland, Addison, and Chittenden Counties.
Location
64 Court StMiddlebury, VT 05753
Phone
(802) 388-6711
Service Area
Statewide
General practice law firm in Middlebury serving Addison County. Helps individuals and families throughout Vermont create customized estate plans. Provides guidance on trusts for avoiding the Vermont probate process, incapacity planning, and out-of-state property management.
Location
2 Park StreetMiddlebury, VT 05753
Phone
(802) 388-6337