Wills and Probate Guide
Wills and Probate Guide

Planning Ahead or Settling an Estate? Plain-English Help for Every State

Probate Timelines Small-Estate Limits Estate & Inheritance Tax
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Tool
Probate Cost Calculator

Estimate what probate will cost in your state, based on your estate's value.
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Tool
Estate Tax Estimator

See whether your estate may owe state or federal estate tax in 2026.
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Checker
Small-Estate Checker

Find out if an estate can skip full probate under your state's limit.
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Quiz
Will or Trust Quiz

Answer a few questions to see whether you need a will, a trust, or both.

Explore Wills & Probate Guides

Plain-English guides for planning ahead and for settling a loved one's estate.

Wills

State Will & Estate Guides

How to make a valid will in your state — minimum age, witnesses, notarization, handwritten wills, and self-proving affidavits.

View Will Guides →
Probate

State Probate Guides

How probate works in your state — the exact process, typical timeline, the court that handles it, and what it really costs.

View Probate Guides →
No Will

Dying Without a Will

Who inherits when there's no will — your state's exact intestate-succession shares for a spouse, children, and other relatives.

View Intestate Guides →
Tax

Estate & Inheritance Tax by State

Whether your state has an estate tax or inheritance tax, the exemption, who pays, plus the federal exemption and its 2026 change.

View Tax Guides →
Small Estates

Small Estates & Avoiding Probate

Your state's exact small-estate affidavit limit, whether real estate counts, the waiting period, and tools to skip probate.

View Small-Estate Guides →
Trusts

Trusts & Advanced Planning

Whether a living trust is worth it in your state, the typical in-state cost, and whether transfer-on-death deeds are allowed.

View Trust Guides →
Understanding wills and probate in plain English

Wills & Probate in Plain English

Most people only look this up at two moments — when they sit down to plan ahead, or when they've just lost someone and probate suddenly lands on their plate.

Wills Probate Guide breaks down your state's actual law into language anyone can follow, so you know exactly where you stand before you do anything.

  • Exact probate timelines, costs, and court steps
  • Who inherits when there's no will — your state's shares
  • Small-estate limits that let families skip probate
  • State and federal estate & inheritance tax rules
  • Free tools to estimate cost, tax, and eligibility instantly
Browse All Guides →

Find Your State's Estate & Probate Rules

Click any state for probate cost and timeline, small-estate limits, intestate shares, and estate-tax rules.

Wills & Probate by State

Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming

Know Where You Stand Before You Do Anything

Free guides, calculators, and exact state-specific rules — no signup required.

Browse All Guides →

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Wills Probate Guide?
Wills Probate Guide is a free educational resource that explains wills, probate, and estate planning in your state — how to make a will, the probate process and cost, what happens if you die without a will, estate and inheritance tax, small-estate options, and trusts. We cover all 50 states plus DC with exact, state-specific law, explained in plain English.
Is it free to use?
Yes — Wills Probate Guide is completely free. We never charge readers for access to any of our state guides, tools, or scenario explainers. There is no signup, no email gate, and no required contact form.
Do you provide legal or tax advice?
No. Wills Probate Guide is an informational site, not a law firm, tax advisor, or financial planner. We provide general, state-specific information about wills, probate, and estate planning, then recommend you verify current details with your state, your local probate court, or a licensed attorney — and consult a licensed professional for advice on your specific situation.
How do you make money?
Wills Probate Guide earns revenue through display advertising (Google AdSense), affiliate commissions when you choose to create a will or trust through one of our links (at no cost to you, always disclosed), and referral fees when you choose to connect with an estate-planning attorney (always disclosed). None of these relationships influence our editorial content. On pages for families dealing with a death, we do not run product sales pitches — we point you to court self-help and free legal aid.
How current are the laws and figures?
Estate, probate, and tax rules are sourced from state probate codes, state courts, state revenue departments, and the IRS, and are reviewed when the law or the dollar figures change. Every page displays a Verified badge showing when it was last reviewed. Small-estate thresholds and estate-tax exemptions change over time and vary by state — always verify the exact figure with your state's court, statute, or a licensed attorney.