How much does probate add to the cost of a will in Arkansas?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Arkansas costs about $26,865 — roughly 5% of estate value — including attorney fees, executor fees, court filing fees, and publication costs (Ark. Code §§ 28-48-108(a) (executor compensation — just and reasonable, capped at 10% first $1K / 5% next $4K / 3% balance of personal property fully administered), 28-48-108(d)(2)-(3) (attorney fee schedule — 6-tier, 5% to 2%, on total market value reportable in circuit court; court adjusts if excessive or insufficient), 28-41-101 (small estate affidavit — $100K / 45 days / real property counts toward the cap / homestead and statutory allowances excluded), 28-50-101 (creditor claims — 6 months from first publication; (h) 2 years from first publication for known or reasonably ascertainable creditors; (d) 5-year absolute bar), 28-48-201 (bond — court "may require"; mandatory on written demand under (b)(1)), 28-48-206 (court may increase, decrease, or dispense with bond for good cause), 28-40-111(a)(1)(A) (mandatory publication of notice of appointment), 28-1-112 (notice requirements), 28-40-119 (court admits will and grants letters), 28-1-106 (probate referee and clerk), 28-52-103(a) (PR must file verified accounts with the court), 28-49-110 (PR-prepared inventory). Bond sections rewritten by Act 326 of 2023 (HB1448, 94th GA): § 28-48-201 "shall take" stricken and "may require" added, § 28-48-203 (sureties) repealed, and § 28-48-206's will-direction / FDIC-fiduciary / distributee-waiver dispensations stricken. Verified 2026-07-14. The official Arkansas Code (lexisnexis.com/hottopics/arcode/) is JS/Lexis-walled, so every section above was read from the codified "Arkansas Code of 1987 (2024)" edition on law.justia.com (e.g. law.justia.com/codes/arkansas/title-28/subtitle-4/chapter-48/subchapter-2/section-28-48-206/), cross-checked against the enacted Act 326 of 2023 PDF from the official source (arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2023R%2FPublic%2FACT326.pdf). Because act PDFs render stricken text identically to enacted text, every Act 326 change above was confirmed against the codified section, not the act alone. CURRENCY (2026-07-14): no act of any session enacted after the codified edition's currency date amends any cited section. Confirmed two ways against the Legislature's own site: (1) arkleg's official "Code Sections Amended" index for Title 28 (arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/CodeSectionsAmended) for the 2024 Fiscal, 2024 Second Extraordinary, 2025 Regular, 2026 Fiscal, and 2026 First Extraordinary sessions — the only 2025 Title 28 amendments are ch. 65 guardianship (Acts 713, 518, 315), § 28-8-102 / §§ 28-40-110(c), -112, -121 (Act 692, missing-person legal-death procedure), §§ 28-69-802/-803 (Act 308), and new ch. 78 Uniform Trust Decanting Act (Act 680); (2) a full-text scan of every enacted public act of all five of those sessions (1,026 acts in 2025R plus 177 + 6 + 175 + 3) downloaded from arkleg and converted with pdftotext — the strings 28-48-108, 28-48-201, 28-48-206, 28-50-101, 28-40-111, 28-40-119, 28-1-106, 28-52-103, and 28-41-101 appear in exactly one act (Act 713 of 2025), and there only as a cross-reference to § 28-48-201 et seq. inside the guardian-bond section § 28-65-215(d), not as an amendment.). These costs are paid by the estate before assets transfer to beneficiaries, reducing the total inheritance.

How Much Does a Will Cost in Arkansas?

Compare will costs across providers in Arkansas. Includes document purchase, annual subscriptions, life event fees, and probate costs your heirs will pay.

State

Document Type

Estate Value

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Life Events (next 5 years)

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Cost estimates based on published pricing. Actual costs may vary.Pricing verified June 2026

Frequently Asked Questions

Will costs in Arkansas depend on the provider. Online services range from $30-$300 upfront. Attorneys in Arkansas charge around $314/hour for wills and estates, putting a simple will between $942 and $1,884. The document is only part of the cost: probate on a $500,000 estate in Arkansas adds about $26,865 in fees that heirs pay later.

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Arkansas costs about $26,865 — roughly 5% of estate value — including attorney fees, executor fees, court filing fees, and publication costs. These costs are paid by the estate before assets transfer to beneficiaries, reducing the total inheritance. Estimate the full cost with the Arkansas probate calculator.

A will does not avoid probate in Arkansas — probate is the court-supervised process that validates the will, pays debts, and distributes assets. Estates under $100,000 may qualify for a simplified small-estate procedure instead of full probate. A revocable living trust transfers assets to beneficiaries without probate at any estate size.

Online will services cost $30-$300 upfront compared to $942-$1,884 for an attorney in Arkansas. Either way, the will goes through the same probate process. Total cost depends on subscription fees, amendment charges, and the eventual probate expenses heirs will pay.

Life events like marriage, divorce, or having a child require updating your will. Some online providers require purchasing a new document. Attorney amendments in Arkansas cost $289 to $578 for minor changes and $1,156 to $2,312 for major restructuring.

Arkansas has specific requirements for executing a valid will, including witness and notary rules. A will that does not meet these requirements may not be accepted during probate. See the full requirements with the Arkansas signing requirements tool.

Will Costs in Arkansas

A will in Arkansas costs $942 to $1,884 through an attorney, or $30-$300 through an online service. However, the document cost is only the beginning. The will still goes through probate, adding about $26,865 on a $500,000 estate in court costs, attorney fees, and executor compensation that heirs must pay.

Probate in Arkansas lasts 6 months to 9 months for straightforward cases, with attorney fees that are statutory (set by law). Small estates under $100,000 may use abbreviated procedures. For a detailed fee estimate, use the probate calculator.

For a will to be accepted during Arkansas probate, it must meet the state's execution requirements, including witness and notary rules. Failing to meet these requirements can invalidate the document entirely. Check what Arkansas requires with the signing requirements tool.

SimplyTrust Editorial·Updated July 14, 2026

Legal Sources

Data sourced from Arkansas statutes and official state code. How we research.

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