For most estate planning, our firm provides a comprehensive set of documents. We do not typically produce one-off "I love you" wills with no trusts or estate tax planning provisions. Very small details about a person or family can be the difference between a plan that works and one that fails to cover all the bases. A typical family (married couple) with children, who want to provide guardians for their children, a comprehensive trust for their minor beneficiaries, maximize tax savings and plan for incapacity can expect to pay $2,000 including all consultations and follow up. If that same couple wants the beneficiary's share to pass to a "protective" trust that is insulated from creditors, divorce (equitable distribution), lawsuits, etc. can expect to pay a total of $3,500. A person with significant assets with both state and federal estate tax concerns will pay about $3,000 more.
Business owners with partners, in addition to the above personal estate planning, can discuss buy-sell arrangements (business exit strategy) and other asset protection vehicles. We need to meet and discuss these in more detail but can in most cases quote a flat-fee there as well. Estate litigation is typically not on a flat fee basis, but estate administration matters that are uncontested can be billed either on an hourly basis ($150 to $375 per hour) or a percentage basis (portion of the taxable estate of the decedent) paid out of the estate's residuary.