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Wisconsin follows the "reasonable compensation" standard for trusteesWis. Stat. § 701.0708Verified Jun 10, 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 Wisconsin trustee compensation calculator breaks it down by trust situation.
Trust administration in Wisconsin is typically faster than probate because trusts don't require court supervision. The main floor is the creditor claim period — 4 months in Wisconsin — 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 Wisconsin trustee checklist for the full process.
Estate planning attorneys in Wisconsin average $327 per hourClio Legal Trends Report 2025Verified Jan 1, 2025 for wills and estates work. Flat-fee packages run roughly $981–$1,962 for a simple individual will and $3,320–$4,980 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.
Wisconsin allows estates under $50,000 to use a simplified small estate affidavit 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 Wisconsin probate calculator to estimate the costs.
In Wisconsin, the situations where retaining counsel is typically worth the cost are: blended families with children from prior relationships (community property rules can produce surprising outcomes); 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.
10 firms
West Bend firm devoted to personalized client service in elder law, estate planning, special needs planning, and trust and probate administration.
Location
120 N. Main Street, Suite 240West Bend, WI 53095
Phone
(262) 338-1750
Service Area
1 county
Established in 1984, serving Waukesha County for over 35 years. Attorneys handle estate planning, probate and trust administration, elder law and disability planning.
Location
707 W Moreland Boulevard, Suite 9Waukesha, WI 53188
Phone
(262) 547-5517
Established
1984
Service Area
1 county
Serves Waukesha, Lake Country, and Southeastern Wisconsin from Waukesha. Attorneys Matthew DeMark and Jyllian Schwendeman handle probate and trust administration, wills and trusts, special needs and Title 19 planning, and related tax matters for families settling estates. The firm opens each matter with a complimentary initial consultation.
Location
N19W24200 Riverwood Drive, Suite 145Waukesha, WI 53188
Phone
(262) 446-8145
Established
2009
Service Area
1 county
Elder law firm in Tomah serving Monroe County and western Wisconsin. Attorney Joshua Shudlick is a NAELA member specializing in Medicaid and long-term care planning alongside traditional estate planning.
Location
1501 Kilbourn AvenueTomah, WI 54660
Phone
(608) 372-4104
Provides individualized attention with clients working directly with an attorney throughout the Chippewa Valley. Attorney Aric Burch is a member of NAELA and the Special Needs Alliance.
Location
1324 W. Clairemont Avenue, Suite 10Eau Claire, WI 54701
Phone
(715) 835-6196
Serves Hurley and Iron County from its main office, with additional offices in Ashland and Minocqua reaching across Northern Wisconsin and Upper Michigan. Focuses on estate planning and elder law, guiding families through probate and trust administration, special needs and asset-protection trusts, and guardianship. The practice is limited to estate and elder law, not a general docket.
Location
312 Silver StreetHurley, WI 54534
Phone
(888) 613-0600
Serves Marathon County and central Wisconsin from Wausau. Handles informal and formal probate, termination of a decedent's joint-property interest, small-estate transfers, and trust administration for revocable, irrevocable, and testamentary trusts, plus will challenges and breach of fiduciary duty claims. Estate and probate work is billed on a flat-fee basis.
Location
513 Grant StreetWausau, WI 54403
Phone
(715) 843-6700
Locally and veteran-owned law firm in the heart of Marshfield. Attorney Brandon Carlin is a combat veteran who served with the U.S. Army in Iraq, completing two year-long tours. Registered Service-Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business.
Location
508 N Central Avenue, Suite 103Marshfield, WI 54449
Phone
(715) 207-0513
Service Area
3 counties
One of Sheboygan's oldest law firms, originally founded in 1898. Dedicated Estate Planning, Probate and Trusts team serving small to medium-sized businesses and the families which own them.
Location
909 N. 8th Street, Suite 100Sheboygan, WI 53081
Phone
(920) 458-5501
Established
1898
Specializes in asset protection, estate planning, and business planning for individuals, families, and business owners throughout Northeast Wisconsin. Robert A. Ross is a board-certified Estate Planning Law Specialist admitted to the Supreme Court of the United States.
Location
218 N. 14th AvenueSturgeon Bay, WI 54235
Phone
(920) 743-9117
Service Area
3 counties