How Much Does an Executor Get Paid in Delaware?

Delaware law says only that compensation must be reasonable — it names no percentage, so no exact figure exists to look up. The estimate is built from the 17 states whose legislatures DO set an executor fee schedule: each schedule is applied to an estate of the same size, and the midpoint of those results is shown ($14,050 on a $500,000 estate), with the middle half of them as the range. It is an estimate anchored in what other legislatures decided the same work is worth, not a figure from Delaware law. The probate court has the final say.

Yes. Executors in Delaware can waive their fee entirely or accept a reduced amount. Family members serving as executor often waive compensation, particularly when they are also beneficiaries of the estate. Waiving the fee reduces the overall cost of probate and increases the amount available for distribution to beneficiaries.

Delaware statute does not address how co-executors share compensation. The court sets one reasonable amount for the estate and allocates it among the executors serving.12 Del. C. § 2305; Del. Ct. Ch. R. 192Verified Jul 25, 2026

An executor in Delaware is responsible for filing the will with the probate court, inventorying assets, notifying creditors, paying debts and taxes, and distributing remaining assets to beneficiaries.delcode.delaware.gov: 12 Del. C. § 2305 (commissions & attorney fees per Court of Chancery rules), § 2306 (distribution without letters / small estate $50K, 30-day wait, no DE real estate; most recent amendment 85 Del. Laws, c. 281, § 1, which raised the ceiling from $30K to $50K), § 2308 (surviving spouse $7,500 allowance), § 2101 (creditor notice within 40 days; 3 newspaper insertions over 3 successive weeks; waivable for ≤$30K personal/≤$35K total; most recent amendment 77 Del. Laws, c. 229, § 1), § 2102 (creditor claims 8-month bar from death for pre-death; 6-month bar for post-death; most recent amendment 81 Del. Laws, c. 150, § 1), § 1521 (bond filing), § 1522 (bond not required by default), § 1523 (bond amount = best estimate of personal estate), § 1524 (demand for bond by interested party with >$2,000 stake), § 2510 (county-set filing fees). County closing-cost percentages re-confirmed against current published schedules: New Castle 1.75% + 0.25% tech fee (newcastlede.gov DocumentCenter fee schedule + probate instructions PDF, deaths on/after 7/1/2018); Kent 1.75% (kentcountyde.gov schedule-of-fees-rev.-4.3.2025.pdf); Sussex 1.25% (sussexcountyde.gov/various-fees). Re-verified 2026-06-20 against delcode.delaware.gov §§ 2306, 2305, 2308, 2101, 2102, 1521-1524 (each statute fetched and quoted verbatim). CORRECTION: § 2306 small-estate ceiling is $50,000 (section title and subsection (a)(3) both read $50,000); prior $30,000 value was stale — raised to $50,000 by 85 Del. Laws, c. 281, § 1. Re-verified 2026-07-14 against delcode.delaware.gov §§ 1302, 1303, 1502, 1505 (Register of Wills proves the will and grants letters; proof taken without notice unless an interested person petitions the Court of Chancery), § 1904/§ 1905 (PR self-values; appraisers permissive), § 2301(a) (annual account to the Court of Chancery until final account passed), §§ 2305, 2306, 2101, 2102, 1521-1524 — each fetched and quoted verbatim. CORRECTION 2026-07-14: informalProbateAvailable was false; the appointment mechanism in Delaware is administrative (Register of Wills, a non-judicial elected county officer per Del. Const. art. IV, § 11(c)), so the field is true. independentAdministration remains false (§ 2301(a) court accounting). All other statutory values confirmed unchanged.Verified Jul 14, 2026 The process typically takes 6-12 months for simple estates and 12-18 months on average. The 8-month creditor claim period sets a minimum timeline. The Delaware estate settlement plan outlines each step.

Executor fees and attorney fees are separate costs in Delaware probate. Attorney fees are based on reasonable compensation.12 Del. C. § 2305 (fees "as provided by rule of the Court of Chancery"; no statutory percentage)Verified Jul 14, 2026 Executor compensation is calculated separately from attorney fees. Both fees are paid from the estate before distribution to beneficiaries. To estimate the attorney fee, use the Delaware probate attorney fee calculator.

Total probate costs in Delaware include executor fees, attorney fees, court filing fees, publication costs, and potentially bond premiums. Executor compensation is one component of the overall expense. On a $500,000 estate, the total runs about $30,971 — roughly 6% of estate value — depending on complexity.delcode.delaware.gov: 12 Del. C. § 2305 (commissions & attorney fees per Court of Chancery rules), § 2306 (distribution without letters / small estate $50K, 30-day wait, no DE real estate; most recent amendment 85 Del. Laws, c. 281, § 1, which raised the ceiling from $30K to $50K), § 2308 (surviving spouse $7,500 allowance), § 2101 (creditor notice within 40 days; 3 newspaper insertions over 3 successive weeks; waivable for ≤$30K personal/≤$35K total; most recent amendment 77 Del. Laws, c. 229, § 1), § 2102 (creditor claims 8-month bar from death for pre-death; 6-month bar for post-death; most recent amendment 81 Del. Laws, c. 150, § 1), § 1521 (bond filing), § 1522 (bond not required by default), § 1523 (bond amount = best estimate of personal estate), § 1524 (demand for bond by interested party with >$2,000 stake), § 2510 (county-set filing fees). County closing-cost percentages re-confirmed against current published schedules: New Castle 1.75% + 0.25% tech fee (newcastlede.gov DocumentCenter fee schedule + probate instructions PDF, deaths on/after 7/1/2018); Kent 1.75% (kentcountyde.gov schedule-of-fees-rev.-4.3.2025.pdf); Sussex 1.25% (sussexcountyde.gov/various-fees). Re-verified 2026-06-20 against delcode.delaware.gov §§ 2306, 2305, 2308, 2101, 2102, 1521-1524 (each statute fetched and quoted verbatim). CORRECTION: § 2306 small-estate ceiling is $50,000 (section title and subsection (a)(3) both read $50,000); prior $30,000 value was stale — raised to $50,000 by 85 Del. Laws, c. 281, § 1. Re-verified 2026-07-14 against delcode.delaware.gov §§ 1302, 1303, 1502, 1505 (Register of Wills proves the will and grants letters; proof taken without notice unless an interested person petitions the Court of Chancery), § 1904/§ 1905 (PR self-values; appraisers permissive), § 2301(a) (annual account to the Court of Chancery until final account passed), §§ 2305, 2306, 2101, 2102, 1521-1524 — each fetched and quoted verbatim. CORRECTION 2026-07-14: informalProbateAvailable was false; the appointment mechanism in Delaware is administrative (Register of Wills, a non-judicial elected county officer per Del. Const. art. IV, § 11(c)), so the field is true. independentAdministration remains false (§ 2301(a) court accounting). All other statutory values confirmed unchanged.Verified Jul 14, 2026 Use the Delaware probate calculator for a complete cost estimate.