Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Delaware

After a death in Delaware, the estate either qualifies for the simplified procedure for estates under $50,000 or goes through probate, where creditors have 8 months to file claims after notice.

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36 tools for Delaware

How Much Does Probate Cost?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Delaware costs an estimated $35,229. Attorney fees run 2.7% to 4.3% of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.

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How Much Can an Executor Charge?

Delaware pays executors reasonable compensation, typically 2.2% to 3.8% of the estate.

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Who Inherits Without a Will?

Without a will in Delaware, descendants divide what passes to them per stirpes, and an heir must survive the decedent by 120 hours to inherit.

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What's Fair Trustee Compensation?

In Delaware, trustee compensation follows "reasonable compensation" (UTC § 708 or equivalent) unless the trust instrument sets a different amount.

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How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?

Delaware levies no estate or inheritance tax; only the federal estate tax applies above $15,000,000.

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How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?

In Delaware, certified death certificates come from the Delaware Department of Health and Social Services - Office of Vital Statistics; the first copy costs $25.

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Do I Need Probate?

In Delaware, estates with personal property of $50,000 or less skip probate with the Distribution Without Letters, 30 days after death.

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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Delaware runs $4,390 to $6,585 and a simple will $1,425 to $2,850, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Delaware runs $4,390 to $6,585 for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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How Much Does a Will Cost?

An attorney-prepared will in Delaware runs $1,425 to $2,850, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $35,229.

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How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

In Delaware, four years at a public university cost about $105,696 and the cost of living is near the U.S. average; no state estate or inheritance tax applies.

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What Taxes Apply to My Inheritance?

Delaware imposes no inheritance or estate tax; probate assets arrive when the estate closes, 9 months to 12 months for a simple estate.

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How Does Step-Up in Basis Work?

Inherited assets in Delaware take a basis reset to fair market value on the date of death, and the gain on a later sale faces ordinary income tax at the state's regular rates.

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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

Delaware does not revoke an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorce; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.

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What Are the Estate Laws in My State?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Delaware costs an estimated $35,229 and takes 9 months to 12 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 2.7% to 4.3% of the estate. Estates under $50,000 can use a small-estate procedure instead.

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How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?

Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.

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How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Children?

In Delaware, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writing, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18.

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What Are the Burial and Cremation Laws in My State?

Delaware allows you to name your own agent in a signed, written document, and that designation takes priority over the statutory order of next of kin who otherwise control disposition of the remains.

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How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

Find witness, notary, and remote signing requirements for all 50 states.

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Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Check if estate planning documents signed in one state are valid in another.

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Delaware allows estates with personal property of $50,000 or less to use the Distribution Without Letters, which avoids full probate administration. The Distribution Without Letters is presented directly to the bank, employer, or other holder of the property — it is not filed with a court. The waiting period is 30 days after death.

Probate costs in Delaware typically include attorney fees of typically 2.7% to 4.3% of the estate, executor fees, court filing fees, and publication costs. On a $500,000 estate, total costs run about $35,229, roughly 7% of estate value, varying with complexity. Estimate executor compensation separately with the Delaware executor fee calculator.

Delaware intestacy law decides. Delaware follows separate property rules: the surviving spouse's share depends on whether children survive and whose children they are. The estate passes to the closest surviving relatives, in most cases the spouse and children first, then in order: Parents; Issue of your parents; Next of kin; The State of Delaware (escheat).

No. Delaware imposes no state estate tax and no inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax applies, on an estate above $15,000,000, an exemption the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21 §70106) set permanently from 2026 and indexes for inflation.

A will in Delaware costs what the provider charges. An online service runs $0 to $299 up front. An attorney in Delaware charges around $475 an hour for wills and estates, which puts a simple will at $1,425 to $2,850. The document is only part of the cost: probate adds about $35,229 on a $500,000 estate in fees the heirs pay later.