Estate Settlement Cost
Menu

Vermont court costs

Vermont probate filing cost: $50–$265

Probate entry fees are $50 through $10,000, $110 through $50,000, $265 through $150,000, $500 through $500,000, $1,000 through $1 million, $1,750 through $5 million, $2,500 through $10 million, and $3,250 above $10 million. Separately, 32 V.S.A. § 1434(a)(30) sets a flat $50.00 entry fee for the affidavit procedure for small estates under Probate Rule 80.3(h).

$50–$265 is the range of statutory totals at a $100,000 estate, because the proceedings below are priced differently. Sources reviewed August 9, 2026. Latest primary-source re-fetch October 3, 2026.

What the statute charges

Every line below is computed from the statutory schedule quoted at the end of this page. These are court charges only. They are not an estimate of the total cost of settling an estate.

Opening a decedent estate

Published value bands

These are the fee bands stated in the source. The worked examples below apply them to sample values; they do not replace the published thresholds.

Probate Division estate entry fee
Value bandPublished fee
Up to $10,000$50
More than $10,000 to $50,000$110
More than $50,000 to $150,000$265
More than $150,000 to $500,000$500
More than $500,000 to $1,000,000$1,000
More than $1,000,000 to $5,000,000$1,750
More than $5,000,000 to $10,000,000$2,500
More than $10,000,000$3,250
Charge$25,000 estate$100,000 estate$400,000 estate$1,000,000 estate
Probate Division estate entry fee$110$265$500$1,000
Total from this schedule$110$265$500$1,000

Not included in this total

  • Later annual accounts
  • Petitions to sell property
  • Copies and service

This schedule prices the value-banded entry fee for opening a decedent estate. It does not include the flat $50.00 affidavit-procedure fee under 32 V.S.A. § 1434(a)(30), which is priced as the separate schedule below; confirm which route the clerk applies.

Source: 32 V.S.A. § 1434(a)(1)-(8), as published in the Vermont Judiciary fee schedule, Vermont Judiciary. Edition/currentness: Publisher edition or effective date not stated. Verified October 3, 2026.

Affidavit procedure for small estates (Probate Rule 80.3(h))

Charge$25,000 estate$100,000 estate$400,000 estate$1,000,000 estate
Probate Division entry fee for the small-estate affidavit procedure$50$50$50$50
Total from this schedule$50$50$50$50

Not included in this total

  • The value-banded entry fee for opening a decedent estate
  • Copies and service

32 V.S.A. § 1434(a)(30) sets this fee at a flat $50.00 for the affidavit procedure for small estates pursuant to Rule 80.3(h) of the Vermont Rules of Probate Procedure. It is a distinct route from the value-banded estate entry fee; the Probate Division clerk states which one applies.

Source: 32 V.S.A. § 1434(a)(30), as published in the Vermont Judiciary fee schedule, Vermont Judiciary. Edition/currentness: Publisher edition or effective date not stated. Verified October 3, 2026.

What the Vermont figure leaves out

The Vermont caveats are listed once, on the Vermont overview.

Other costs: probate cost lines.

Filing-cost sources

Vermont record: 6/6 verified, 18 matched checks, latest source re-fetch October 3, 2026. Source record · method · report a correction

Continue in Vermont