Probate Without the Billing Mystery.
Losing someone is difficult enough. Trying to figure out what probate will cost should not make it harder. The Skeen Firm offers clear, structured probate pricing for qualifying estate administrations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Ohio.
Clear scope. Clear pricing. A plan to move the estate forward.
For qualifying straightforward estates with predictable administration.
- Estate opening
- Personal representative appointment
- Required probate notices
- Inventory and ordinary administration
- Creditor process
- Distribution and closing guidance
What Might Your Probate Cost?
Answer ten questions about the estate. We will identify the probate service level that may fit based on estate size, assets, heirs, property, creditor issues, and complexity.
Where will the estate likely be administered?
Select the state where probate is expected to be opened.
Approximately how much property is part of the probate estate?
Do not automatically count jointly owned property or accounts with designated beneficiaries.
Is there a will?
How many heirs or beneficiaries are involved?
Does the estate include real estate?
Does the estate own a business or business interest?
Are mineral, oil, gas, royalty, or unusual property interests involved?
Are significant creditor or debt problems expected?
Is anyone fighting about the estate?
This can include disputes over the will, property, executor, inheritance, distributions, or alleged misconduct.
How much help do you want?
Factors affecting this result:
Choose the Level of Help the Estate Needs.
We do not believe every estate should automatically generate an open-ended legal bill. Our pricing structure is designed around the amount and complexity of work actually expected.
Probate Guidance
For qualifying families who want legal guidance while doing much of the administrative legwork themselves.
- Initial strategy conference
- Probate roadmap
- Document checklist
- Filing guidance
- Inventory guidance
- Creditor and distribution guidance
- Closing-document review
Probate Essentials
Full legal representation for qualifying straightforward estate administrations.
- Routine estate opening
- Appointment assistance
- Required notices
- Standard probate assets
- Ordinary creditor process
- Routine beneficiary administration
- Distribution and closing
Standard Probate
For estates requiring additional administration but without substantial extraordinary or contested issues.
- Full probate administration
- Multiple financial accounts
- Beneficiary communications
- Creditor administration
- One parcel of real estate
- Routine tax coordination
- Distribution and closing
Complex Probate
For estates requiring substantially more legal and administrative work.
- Multiple properties
- Numerous beneficiaries
- Significant creditor issues
- Complex intestacy
- Business or mineral interests
- Formal accounting issues
- Higher-touch administration
Advanced Estate Administration
High-value or unusually complicated estates receive a customized scope and fee proposal.
- High-value estates
- Closely held businesses
- Multistate assets
- Advanced tax coordination
- Multiple real estate holdings
- Unusual fiduciary issues
- Customized administration plan
We Price the Work, Not Just the Size of the Estate.
A larger estate is not always a harder estate. A multimillion-dollar estate with a few straightforward assets and cooperative beneficiaries can require less work than a much smaller estate involving twelve heirs, disputed property, unpaid creditors, mineral rights, or family conflict.
Assets
We look at the number and type of probate assets and what is actually required to identify, administer, transfer, or distribute them.
People
Beneficiary count, missing heirs, location, cooperation, and family dynamics can substantially change the amount of work required.
Property
Real estate, businesses, mineral rights, oil and gas interests, and multistate property can require additional administration.
Creditors
A routine utility bill is very different from a heavily indebted or potentially insolvent estate.
Tax & Accounting
Inheritance tax, fiduciary tax returns, formal accountings, and advanced tax issues can materially affect the administration.
Conflict
Disputes over a will, executor, property, inheritance, or distributions can move a matter outside ordinary administration and into probate litigation.
Probate Administration and Probate Litigation Are Different Matters.
Ordinary flat-fee probate administration does not include contested court proceedings. If a disagreement becomes litigation, the disputed matter may require a separate engagement and fee arrangement.
- Will contests
- Executor or administrator removal
- Contested accountings
- Surcharge proceedings
- Beneficiary lawsuits
- Disputed property ownership
- Fiduciary misconduct allegations
- Other contested probate proceedings
Probate Help in Pennsylvania, West Virginia & Ohio.
Probate laws and court procedures vary by state and, in some circumstances, by county. Our goal is to provide a consistent, straightforward client experience while handling the requirements applicable to the estate.
Pennsylvania Probate
We assist Pennsylvania executors and administrators with opening estates, probate filings, inventories, creditor issues, inheritance-tax administration, property transfers, distributions, and estate closing.
Pennsylvania estate planning and probate counsel →West Virginia Probate
We help West Virginia families work through qualification, appraisals and inventories, claims, beneficiary issues, property, distributions, and the estate-closing process.
West Virginia estate planning and probate counsel →Ohio Probate
We provide Ohio probate representation for qualifying matters, subject to the rules, procedures, and fee requirements applicable to the probate court handling the estate.
Ohio estate planning and probate counsel →Get From “What Do We Do Now?” to a Probate Plan.
You do not need to know every probate rule before contacting us. Start with what you know about the estate. We can help identify the next steps.
Tell Us About the Estate
We identify the state, approximate estate size, assets, real estate, beneficiaries, creditors, disputes, and other potential complications.
Get a Probate Roadmap
We determine the likely probate path, what legal work is expected, and which level of representation appears appropriate.
Move the Estate Forward
Once representation begins, we work through the legal administration with the goal of properly administering assets, making distributions, and closing the estate.
Probate Cost & Administration FAQs
How much does a probate lawyer cost?
The answer depends on the work required. The Skeen Firm offers structured pricing for qualifying estates, with full probate representation starting at $3,500. More complicated matters may fall into higher pricing tiers or require individualized pricing.
Do you charge a percentage of the estate?
Our pricing model focuses primarily on the scope and complexity of the legal work instead of automatically applying the same percentage to every estate. Estate value can still affect complexity and may therefore be relevant to the final fee.
Is the executor's fee included in the attorney fee?
No. Compensation payable to an executor, administrator, or other fiduciary is separate from attorney compensation and is governed by applicable state law and court requirements.
Who pays the probate attorney?
Legal fees properly incurred for estate administration are generally treated as estate administration expenses, subject to applicable law, court rules, approval requirements, and the circumstances of the particular estate.
What happens if the estate becomes more complicated?
The engagement agreement defines the work included in the quoted fee. If extraordinary legal work becomes necessary, we address the additional scope and pricing rather than treating an ordinary probate engagement as unlimited legal work.
Does the flat fee include a will contest?
No. Will contests, fiduciary disputes, contested accountings, removal proceedings, beneficiary lawsuits, and similar litigation require a separate litigation engagement.
Can I do some of the probate work myself?
Potentially. Our Probate Guidance option is designed for qualifying matters where the personal representative wants to handle much of the administrative work while receiving structured attorney guidance.
Do you handle estates that include real estate?
Yes. The amount of additional work depends on whether the property will be sold, distributed, transferred, encumbered, located in another jurisdiction, or involved in a dispute.
What if the deceased person did not have a will?
An estate can often still be administered when there is no will. The applicable state's intestacy laws determine who inherits, and additional work may be required to identify heirs and complete the administration.
How do I know which probate package I need?
Use the estimator near the top of this page for a preliminary result, or schedule a discovery call so we can review the estate's assets, heirs, property, debts, and other relevant issues.
You Have an Estate to Handle. Start With a Clear Plan.
Tell us what the estate looks like. We can help identify the likely probate path, determine the appropriate level of representation, and give you a clearer understanding of expected legal fees.