Typical Fees for Estate Planning

Below are typical fees for estate planning in simple cases. Most estate planning offered by Ramsey Law, PLLC is provided at a flat fee rate. Schedule a consultation to obtain a specific quote for your estate planning. Prices are subject to change. Additional fees may apply.

Will Package

This package establishes how assets pass, who is in charge after death, and who is in charge if you need help while you are still alive. Please note that having a Will or Power of Attorney does NOT avoid the need for probate after death. The package includes:

  • Last Will and Testament

  • Durable Power of Attorney (for money/property)

  • Medical Power of Attorney

  • Directive to Physicians a/k/a Living Will (for life support)

  • Declaration of Guardian Before Need Arises

  • Declaration of Guardian for Children, if applicable

  • Appointment of Agent for Disposition of Remains

Base Fee without Testamentary Trust: $975 for individuals or $1,850 for couples

Base Fee with Basic Testamentary Trust: $1,175 for individuals or $2,150 for couples.

Probate Avoidance Will Package

This package establishes how assets pass, who is in charge after death, and who is in charge if you need help while you are still alive. Additionally, it includes a Transfer on Death Deed and a memorandum advising the client on how to set up assets to pass automatically upon death (not appropriate for all cases). This package is designed to increase the chance of avoiding probate court after death. The package includes:

  • Last Will and Testament

  • Durable Power of Attorney (for money/property)

  • Medical Power of Attorney

  • Directive to Physicians a/k/a Living Will (for life support)

  • Declaration of Guardian Before Need Arises

  • Declaration of Guardian for Children, if applicable

  • Appointment of Agent for Disposition of Remains

  • One Texas Transfer on Death Deed (additional deeds may be added for additional fee)

  • One Probate Avoidance Memorandum

Base Fee without Testamentary Trust: $1,475 for individuals or $2,350 for couples

Base Fee with Basic Testamentary Trust: $1,675 for individuals or $2,550 for couples.

Revocable Living Trust Package

This package establishes how assets pass, who is in charge after death, and who is in charge if you need help while you are still alive. Additionally, it can avoid the need for probate court as long as all assets are transferred to the trust during one’s lifetime. Living Trusts are appropriate for clients who are able to follow through with instructions explaining how to transfer assets to their trust. The package includes:

  • Revocable Living Trust and related documents

  • Last Will and Testament

  • Durable Power of Attorney (for money/property)

  • Medical Power of Attorney

  • Directive to Physicians a/k/a Living Will (for life support)

  • Declaration of Guardian Before Need Arises

  • Declaration of Guardian for Children, if applicable

  • Appointment of Agent for Disposition of Remains

  • One Texas Deed (additional deeds may be added for additional fee)

Base Fee: $3,250 for individuals or $3,750 for couples (includes ONE joint trust)

Base Fee with basic disclaimer trust language for spouse: $4,000 for couples (includes ONE joint trust)

BASE FEES FOR OTHER SERVICES

Deeds (General Warranty Deed, Special Warranty Deed, Ladybird Deed a/k/a Enhanced Life Estate Deed, Transfer on Death Deed):

$600 plus county filing fee 

Additional fees may apply if deed must incorporate a survey, multiple tracts, or “metes and bounds” type legal description (legal description must be provided by client)

Medicaid Eligibility Analysis and Memorandum: $1,200

Basic Caretaker Agreements: $1,200

Basic Prenuptial Agreements a/k/a Premarital Agreements: $1,500 (NOTE: this is the fee to represent one partner – each partner will need their own attorney, though the non-drafting attorney usually has a more limited role)

Basic Postnuptial Agreements a/k/a Post-marital Agreements: $1,500 (NOTE: this is the fee to represent one spouse – each spouse will need their own attorney, though the non-drafting attorney usually has a more limited role)

EXPEDITING FEES

While we do sympathize with individuals who find themselves in a situation that requires quick action, expedited (rushed) legal services cause law firms to put a new case ahead of existing clients. It can also disrupt current projects and interfere with office scheduling. Particularly in the case of expedited Wills or other estate planning, the firm generally has to block off multiple days to increase the chance of executing the documents before it is too late. The firm may not always be able to accommodate an “emergency” or time-sensitive situation, but when it can, an additional fee may be charged to compensate for the firm having to put aside existing projects, block off sufficient time, and refocus on the expedited case. This is in no way done to take advantage of someone who needs help quickly, but is done to minimally compensate the firm for what is often a substantial loss of productivity. 

Because this is a common issue, we strongly encourage people to take care of their estate planning as soon as possible so that they do not end up in a situation where there is little time or it is too late to get things in order. It is risky to assume that you will have a chance to execute documents at the time they are needed. There is no guarantee in an emergency that a person will have the physical or mental ability to prepare and execute complicated legal documents. The best time to prepare legal documents is before you need them.

CONSULTATION FEES

Ramsey Law, PLLC waives the $275 fee for a 30-minute consultation (subject to conditions) in most cases. The firm may decline to consult on a matter for any reason. Please note that a legal consultation, just like a consultation with any non-legal professional, is designed to determine what services the firm is able to provide, if any, and the potential cost of those services. The firm does not offer free legal advice or document review and cannot provide instructions on how to prepare legal documents.

An advance fee may be required if you fail to submit a completed questionnaire within 3 business days of the scheduled appointment, for a consultation scheduled on an evening/weekend, as well as for out-of-office consultations, consultations on matters the firm does not believe are likely to result in representation, and rescheduled consultations after a cancellation made less than one full business day prior to the appointment.