What Does Estate Planning Cost?
Compare costs across providers. See how life events like marriage, divorce, and having children affect your total cost.
Frequently Asked Questions
Estate planning costs vary by provider, state, and complexity. Traditional attorneys charge state-specific hourly rates (this calculator pulls from the Clio Legal Trends Report) with additional fees for amendments as life changes. Online services use flat upfront pricing. Subscription services spread costs over time while including routine updates. This calculator estimates the LIFETIME cost — not just the upfront fee — because the real cost of an estate plan depends on how many amendments you need over decades as life changes.
Major events that typically require updates include: getting married (add spouse as beneficiary/co-trustee), having a baby (add beneficiary, designate guardian), getting divorced (remove ex-spouse, restructure trust), remarrying (add new spouse), moving to a new state (review state-specific requirements), buying property (add to trust), and receiving an inheritance (update beneficiary allocations).
SimplyTrust uses a Nevada revocable trust structure that is recognized across states, eliminating the need for state-specific document versions. The subscription model spreads costs over time while including most amendments. The trust itself takes about 15 minutes to build online.
Estate planning attorney fees vary by state and service. This calculator uses state-specific hourly rates from the Clio Legal Trends Report. Typical engagements include initial trust creation (several hours of attorney time) plus amendment fees when life events occur. Simple amendments (like adding a beneficiary) cost less; major changes like restructuring for divorce often require a full trust restatement at a higher fee. Enter your state to see a specific cost estimate across a lifetime of attorney-led planning.
Costs are based on published pricing from each provider and state-specific attorney rates from the Clio Legal Trends Report. Actual costs may vary based on individual circumstances, complexity of your estate, and specific attorney billing practices.
Even without life events, SimplyTrust remains cost-competitive due to our low upfront fee and affordable subscription. The calculator lets you uncheck all life events to compare base costs across providers.
