Tools for Planning Your Estate in Tennessee

In Tennessee, a will is signed before 2 witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimony.

All Planning ahead Settling an estate

21 tools for Tennessee

How Much Does Probate Cost?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Tennessee costs an estimated $24,527. Attorney fees run 1.7% to 2.7% of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.

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Who Inherits Without a Will?

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

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How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?

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

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Do I Need Probate?

In Tennessee, estates with personal property of $50,000 or less qualify for the Small Estate Probate Act Petition, 45 days after death, a court procedure short of full probate.

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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Tennessee runs $3,150 to $4,725 and a simple will $903 to $1,806, 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 Tennessee runs $3,150 to $4,725 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 Tennessee runs $903 to $1,806, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $24,527.

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How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

In Tennessee, four years at a public university cost about $85,116 and the cost of living is 8% below the U.S. average; no state estate or inheritance tax applies.

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How Does Step-Up in Basis Work?

Inherited assets in Tennessee take a basis reset to fair market value on the date of death, and the gain on a later sale faces no state capital gains tax.

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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

Tennessee 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 Tennessee costs an estimated $24,527 and takes 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 1.7% to 2.7% 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 Tennessee, 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?

Tennessee 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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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?

Probate in Tennessee takes 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 1.7% to 2.7% of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.

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Do I Need a TOD Deed?

Tennessee does not authorize transfer on death deeds; sole-name real property goes through probate, at least 6 months for a simple estate, unless held in a trust or with a right of survivorship.

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Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?

Tennessee does not offer a transfer-on-death designation on a vehicle title; a vehicle passes by will, trust, joint title, or probate.

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How Do I Open a Trust Account at My Bank?

Compare trust-account requirements bank by bank: how a revocable trust account is opened or retitled, and what proves the trust.

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A will in Tennessee costs what the provider charges. An online service runs $0 to $299 up front. An attorney in Tennessee charges around $301 an hour for wills and estates work, which puts a simple will at $903 to $1,806. The document is only part of the cost: probate adds about $24,527 on a $500,000 estate in fees the heirs pay later.

A revocable living trust in Tennessee costs what the provider charges. An online service runs $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription. An attorney in Tennessee charges around $315 an hour for trust work, which puts an attorney-prepared trust at $3,150 to $4,725 for an individual plan.

No. Tennessee does not allow transfer on death deeds. Tennessee has not adopted the Uniform Real Property Transfer on Death Act or any TOD deed statute, so no transfer-on-death deed chapter exists in the Tennessee Code. The most recent URPTODA bills (HB1793/SB2029, 114th General Assembly) would have added a new Title 31, chapter 8, but died without passage: the House sponsor withdrew on 2026-02-25, the Senate companion never left the Judiciary Committee, and the 114th General Assembly adjourned sine die on 2026-04-23. No TOD deed bill is pending; the 115th General Assembly convenes on 2027-01-12.

In Tennessee, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writing. It needs your signature, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18. It can be recorded alongside the rest of an estate plan when you create a revocable living trust.

In Tennessee, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 1.7% to 2.7% of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee. The trust also distributes assets faster than the 6 months to 9 months probate timeline a simple estate takes.