Tools for Planning Your Estate in Wisconsin

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

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21 tools for Wisconsin

How Much Does Probate Cost?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Wisconsin costs an estimated $22,090. Attorney fees run 1.8% to 2.9% of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.

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Who Inherits Without a Will?

Without a will in Wisconsin, a surviving spouse takes the entire estate when every child of either spouse is a child of both, and descendants divide what passes to them per stirpes.

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How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?

Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin, estates valued at $50,000 or less skip probate with the Transfer by Affidavit.

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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Wisconsin runs $3,320 to $4,980 and a simple will $981 to $1,962, 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 Wisconsin runs $3,320 to $4,980 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 Wisconsin runs $981 to $1,962, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $22,090.

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How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

In Wisconsin, four years at a public university cost about $73,752 and the cost of living is 6% 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 Wisconsin take a basis reset to fair market value on the date of death, and the gain on a later sale faces state tax on the 70% of long-term gain left after a 30% exclusion.

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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

Wisconsin automatically revokes 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 Wisconsin costs an estimated $22,090 and takes 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 1.8% to 2.9% 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 Wisconsin, 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?

Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin takes 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 1.8% to 2.9% of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.

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Do I Need a TOD Deed?

Wisconsin authorizes transfer on death deeds: a recorded, revocable deed that passes real property at death outside probate.

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Do I Need a Vehicle TOD?

Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin costs what the provider charges. An online service runs $0 to $299 up front. An attorney in Wisconsin charges around $327 an hour for wills and estates work, which puts a simple will at $981 to $1,962. The document is only part of the cost: probate adds about $22,090 on a $500,000 estate in fees the heirs pay later.

A revocable living trust in Wisconsin costs what the provider charges. An online service runs $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription. An attorney in Wisconsin charges around $332 an hour for trust work, which puts an attorney-prepared trust at $3,320 to $4,980 for an individual plan.

Yes. Wisconsin allows transfer on death deeds. The deed names a beneficiary for real property, is recorded during the owner's life, and passes the property at death without probate.

In Wisconsin, 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 Wisconsin, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 1.8% to 2.9% 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.