Reducing executor fees can be achieved by negotiating lower, fixed-rate fees with professionals, appointing a family member or friend instead of a trust company, using beneficiary designations (like POD or TOD) to bypass probate, and holding assets in joint ownership. Keeping detailed records and streamlining the estate's complexity also limits billable hours.
5 ways to lower estate duty
In California, these fees start at 4% for the first $100,000 of an estate's value, 3% for the next $100,000 and 2% on the next $800,000.
How Can an Executor Reduce Probate Costs?
If I Appoint My Solicitor As The Sole Executor, Is There A Charge For This? Yes, the solicitor is allowed to charge reasonable costs for acting as an executor. The usual charges are between 1½ to 2½% of the estate and are paid from the estate at the end of the administration.
Example Calculation:
If the total gross value of the estate is R1,000,000: Executor's fee (3.5%) = R35,000 (excluding VAT) Plus 6% on any income earned during administration.
The very first things an executor should do after a death are secure the residence, locate the original will, obtain multiple certified copies of the death certificate, and then start the probate process by filing the will and certificate with the probate court, while also safeguarding assets and documenting everything meticulously. It's crucial to act quickly to prevent fraud and ensure assets go to the right people, often with the help of a probate attorney.
A solicitor/executor may only charge legal costs for legal work in obtaining a grant of probate and administering an estate if there is a charging clause in the will.
An executor might derive their fees from a percentage of the estate, an hourly rate, or a flat rate. Any of these arrangements may be reasonable so long as it conforms with any applicable state laws. For example, some states explicitly prohibit an executor from basing their fees on a percentage of the estate's assets.
An executor cannot use estate assets for personal gain, alter the will's instructions, favor certain beneficiaries, hide information from heirs, or distribute assets prematurely; they must act according to the will's terms and their fiduciary duty, which means prioritizing the estate's and beneficiaries' interests over their own. Violations can lead to personal liability, court removal, or even criminal charges, notes YouTube videos by All About Probate and RMO Lawyers https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vn2XA61Bp6k,.
If an executor spends all the money in an estate, the obvious consequence is that beneficiaries may not receive the inheritances they were promised. While this scenario is understandably upsetting, beneficiaries should avoid jumping to conclusions.
If the estate earned income (such as dividends or rental income) after the person's death, a trust is created, and the trustee of the trust (usually the legal personal representative) is required to pay any tax on the net income of the deceased estate.
You can typically inherit a very large amount from your parents without paying federal tax, as the federal estate tax exemption is around $15 million per person for 2026, meaning only estates larger than that pay tax, not you directly. While you generally don't pay income tax on inheritances (except for pre-tax retirement funds like IRAs/401(k)s, which are taxed as income when withdrawn), some states have their own estate or inheritance taxes with much lower thresholds, affecting a smaller portion of wealth.
The first in line for inheritance, when someone dies without a will (intestate), is typically the surviving spouse, followed by the deceased's children; if none, then the deceased's parents, then siblings, and then more distant relatives like grandparents or aunts/uncles, as determined by state laws (intestate succession).
10 Ways to Reduce Your Legal Fees
As of 2025, the probate process in the UK typically takes between 6 to 12 months to complete for straightforward estates, though more complex cases can extend to 2 years or more.