Estate Planning Costs: Complete Price Guide

What estate planning actually costs in Kansas, the factors that drive pricing up or down, and how to think about value versus cost when planning your estate.

“How much does estate planning cost?” is a question we answer differently depending on what kind of plan fits the situation. A simple will plus basic powers of attorney might run a few hundred to about $1,500. A comprehensive estate plan with a revocable living trust, coordinated powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and trust funding work typically runs in the low to mid four figures. Complex plans involving business succession, multi-state property, or specialized tax planning structures can run higher.

The honest version of estate planning pricing acknowledges that price varies based on what’s actually involved. Anyone who quotes you a fixed price before learning anything about your situation is either pricing for the simplest possible scenario or planning to bill you for extras later. The right approach is to discuss your situation first, scope the work, and quote based on what fits.

After 27 years and 5,423 trusts drafted at The Eastman Law Firm in the Kansas City metro area, we’ve handled estate planning engagements across every level of complexity. Here’s the practical version of what estate planning costs and what drives the pricing.

Typical Price Ranges

For Kansas families, estate planning costs typically fall into a few general ranges based on the scope of the plan:

Simple will plus basic powers of attorney (will only or will-focused engagements). $500 to $2,000 for an individual; $1,000 to $3,000 for a couple. Includes a will, financial durable power of attorney, healthcare power of attorney, Living Will, and HIPAA authorization. No trust, minimal coordination work, modest customization.

Comprehensive estate plan with revocable living trust (typical for families with real estate or significant assets). Our Living Trust Package runs $950 to $1,950 for individuals and $2,950 to $3,950 for couples. Includes the trust, pour-over wills, financial and healthcare powers of attorney, Living Wills, HIPAA authorizations, coordinated beneficiary designation review, and trust funding work for primary assets.

Complex planning with specialized structures. Pricing varies based on what’s involved. Business succession planning, multiple trust structures, irrevocable trusts for tax or asset protection purposes, or specialized planning for blended families with significant assets can run higher than the standard package pricing. Often billed hourly at our rates of $350 to $490 per hour for attorney work and $150 to $190 per hour for paralegal work.

Maintenance and updates. Existing plans being updated typically cost less than initial drafting because the framework already exists. Simple amendments may run a few hours of attorney time. Full restatements (rewriting a trust without revoking it) run longer depending on what’s being changed.

Flat Fee vs. Hourly Pricing

Two main billing structures apply to estate planning work. Each has different implications for predictability and total cost.

Flat fee pricing. A set price for a defined scope of work. The Living Trust Package is an example: a set price for the trust, accompanying documents, and basic funding work, regardless of how many hours of attorney time the engagement actually consumes. Advantages: predictable total cost, no surprises, clear scope. Disadvantages: less flexibility if the situation turns out to be more complex than the standard package contemplates, and the package may include things you don’t need or exclude things you do need.

Hourly pricing. The attorney bills for actual time spent on the engagement. Our rates are $350 to $490 per hour for attorney work and $150 to $190 per hour for paralegal work. Advantages: pricing matches actual complexity, you only pay for what’s actually involved, scope can adjust as needs change. Disadvantages: less predictable total cost, requires trust that the attorney is billing efficiently.

Most estate planning engagements at our firm use a hybrid approach: flat-fee packages for the standard plans where the scope is well-defined, hourly billing for situations that fall outside the standard packages or for complex matters where the scope can’t be reliably predicted in advance.

What Drives the Price Up or Down

Several factors push pricing in either direction.

Number and type of documents. A will-only engagement costs less than a comprehensive plan with multiple coordinated documents. Each additional document (trust, multiple powers of attorney, specialized provisions) adds drafting time and coordination work.

Trust vs. no trust. Trust-based plans cost more than will-only plans because of the additional drafting complexity, the longer document, and the funding work required to transfer assets into the trust. The trade-off is usually worth it for families with real estate or significant assets, but the upfront cost difference is real.

Complexity of family situation. Simple families (couples with shared children, single adults with clear preferences) cost less than blended families with children from prior marriages, families with vulnerable beneficiaries, families with complex distribution preferences, or families with multiple potential disputes to anticipate.

Complexity of assets. Modest assets without real estate cost less than complex portfolios with multi-state property, business interests, retirement accounts in different jurisdictions, or specialized investments. Each asset category may need its own coordination.

Number of beneficiaries and specific bequests. A plan leaving “everything to my spouse, then to my children equally” costs less to draft than a plan with 15 specific bequests to specific individuals, conditional distributions, or staged distributions over years.

Tax planning provisions. Plans involving specialized tax-advantaged trust structures (ILITs, GRATs, CRTs, QPRTs, dynasty trusts) cost more than basic revocable trust planning because of the additional drafting complexity and the coordination with tax professionals.

Business succession planning. Plans that include business succession typically cost more because of the coordination with operating agreements, buy-sell agreements, valuation work, and other business-specific documents.

Funding scope. Trust funding involves retitling assets from individual name into trust name. Simple funding (one bank account, one residence) costs less than complex funding (multiple real estate parcels in different states, business interests, specialized accounts). Our Living Trust Package includes basic funding work; extensive funding may add to the engagement.

What the Living Trust Package Includes

For Kansas families whose situation calls for trust-based planning, our Living Trust Package handles the comprehensive plan as a coordinated engagement at flat-fee pricing:

• Initial consultation and substantive planning meeting
• Revocable Living Trust drafted to fit your specific situation
• Pour-over wills coordinated with the trust
• Financial Durable Power of Attorney
• Healthcare Power of Attorney
• Living Will (Advance Directive)
• HIPAA authorization
• Coordinated beneficiary designation review
• Trust funding work for primary assets (residence deed, bank account retitling, beneficiary designation updates)
• Signing appointment with witnesses and notarization
• One round of revisions during the drafting phase

Pricing for the Living Trust Package: $950 to $1,950 for individuals, $2,950 to $3,950 for couples. The range reflects complexity within the package scope. Situations that fall outside the package scope (extensive business interests, multiple state real estate, complex tax planning structures) get scoped and quoted separately.

The Cost of Not Planning

When evaluating whether estate planning is worth the upfront cost, the alternative isn’t free. The cost of not planning shows up later, paid by the family rather than by you. Specific costs to expect:

Probate costs. Court filing fees, attorney fees during probate, executor fees, publication costs, and other probate expenses. For a Kansas estate of modest size, total probate costs can run from a few thousand to many thousands of dollars depending on complexity and disputes.

Conservatorship costs if incapacity happens without powers of attorney. Court costs, attorney fees for the petition and hearings, costs of the court-appointed guardian ad litem, ongoing supervision costs, and annual accountings. Typically more expensive than the original powers of attorney work would have been.

Family dispute costs. Without documented plans, family members may disagree about what the deceased would have wanted. Disputes can extend probate, generate substantial legal fees, and damage relationships permanently.

Lost tax planning opportunities. For larger estates, missed tax planning can cost much more than the planning would have cost. For smaller Kansas estates, this is usually not a major factor, but for estates approaching federal exemption thresholds it can be significant.

Time and stress. Probate in Kansas typically takes 6 to 12 months for simple estates, longer for complex ones. During that time, family members may not have access to the deceased’s assets, may be navigating unfamiliar legal processes, and may be dealing with grief at the same time as administrative burdens.

The math usually favors upfront planning by a significant margin. For broader context on what happens without planning, see our explanation of dying without an estate plan.

How to Think About Estate Planning Value

Estate planning is one of those purchases where the value is realized later, by people other than the buyer. You don’t directly benefit from the plan; your family does after you’re gone or incapacitated. This makes it easy to under-invest because the cost is felt now but the benefit is felt later by others.

Three ways to think about whether the investment fits:

Compare to what your family would pay without planning. The probate costs, conservatorship costs, and family dispute costs your family would pay without planning often exceed the upfront cost of planning by a significant margin. The math usually favors planning.

Consider the time and stress savings. The time and emotional cost your family would spend navigating unfamiliar legal processes during grief is hard to quantify but real. Good planning saves your family that experience.

Recognize that some benefits aren’t financial. Knowing your minor children have a named guardian, your medical wishes will be honored, your specific bequests will reach the right people, and your family won’t have to guess what you would have wanted has real value even if it doesn’t show up in a cost-benefit calculation.

How to Save on Estate Planning Costs

If cost is a concern, several ways to reduce estate planning expenses without compromising the essentials:

Start with the basics. A simple will plus powers of attorney is much less expensive than a comprehensive trust-based plan and may be all you actually need depending on your situation. You can always add complexity later as circumstances change.

Be organized and prepared. Coming to meetings with all the information you need, making decisions quickly, and being responsive during the drafting process reduces the attorney time required and (for hourly engagements) reduces the cost.

Focus on your specific situation. Pay for the planning that fits your actual circumstances rather than trying to anticipate every possible scenario. Most families don’t need every estate planning tool available; they need the ones that fit their situation.

Coordinate other planning relationships. If you already have a CPA, financial advisor, and other professionals, leverage their existing knowledge of your situation rather than starting from scratch with each professional.

Maintain rather than rebuild. Once you have a plan, periodic updates cost less than starting over. Reviewing and updating every three to five years prevents the more expensive rebuilds that happen when plans get too far out of date.

For Kansas families wondering whether DIY options work, see our discussion of online forms versus attorney-drafted plans.

What the Free Call Is For

The 15-minute call sorts out what kind of estate planning fits your situation and what realistic pricing would look like. You describe your circumstances, your assets, your family, your concerns. Gary tells you what kind of plan fits, what the work would involve, and what it would cost. Our estate planning work spans simple wills to comprehensive plans, with pricing that reflects what’s actually involved.

By the end of the call, you’ll know more about your situation than you did when you picked up the phone. Whether you hire us or not.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does a typical estate plan cost?

Costs vary significantly based on scope. A simple will-focused engagement (will plus basic powers of attorney) typically runs $500 to $2,000 for an individual and $1,000 to $3,000 for a couple in Kansas. A comprehensive trust-based plan with coordinated documents and funding work typically runs in the low to mid four figures. Our Living Trust Package, which includes a revocable living trust, pour-over wills, financial and healthcare powers of attorney, Living Wills, HIPAA authorizations, beneficiary designation review, and basic trust funding work, runs $950 to $1,950 for individuals and $2,950 to $3,950 for couples. Complex plans involving business succession, multi-state property, specialized tax planning structures, or extensive funding work can run higher and are typically priced hourly at $350 to $490 per hour for attorney work. The pricing should match what’s actually involved in your situation, not what a one-size-fits-all package would charge.

Is estate planning worth the cost?

For most Kansas families with assets, dependents, or specific wishes, yes. The cost of not planning typically exceeds the cost of planning by a significant margin. Without planning, your family pays probate costs (often several thousand dollars), potentially conservatorship costs if incapacity hits without powers of attorney, family dispute costs if expectations weren’t documented, and the time and emotional cost of navigating unfamiliar legal processes during grief. Beyond financial cost, there’s the harder-to-quantify value of knowing your minor children will have a named guardian, your medical wishes will be honored, your specific bequests will reach the right people, and your family won’t have to guess what you would have wanted. Estate planning is one of those purchases where the value is realized later, by people other than the buyer, which makes it easy to under-invest. The math usually favors planning by a significant margin, especially for families with real estate, minor children, or specific wishes.

What’s the difference between flat fee and hourly estate planning?

Flat fee pricing means a set price for a defined scope of work, regardless of how many hours the engagement actually takes. Our Living Trust Package is an example: one set price for the trust, accompanying documents, and basic funding work. Advantages: predictable total cost, no surprise bills, clear scope. Disadvantages: less flexibility if the situation turns out more complex than the package contemplates, and the package may include things you don’t need or exclude things you do need. Hourly pricing means the attorney bills for actual time spent. Our hourly rates are $350 to $490 for attorney work and $150 to $190 for paralegal work. Advantages: pricing matches actual complexity, you only pay for what’s involved, scope can adjust as needs change. Disadvantages: less predictable total cost, requires trust that the attorney is billing efficiently. Many engagements use a hybrid approach: flat fees for standard packages where scope is well-defined, hourly billing for situations outside the standard packages.

What factors affect estate planning costs?

Several factors push estate planning costs up or down. The number and type of documents matters: a will-only engagement costs less than a comprehensive plan with multiple coordinated documents. Trust vs. no trust matters significantly: trust-based plans cost more than will-only plans because of additional drafting and funding work. Complexity of family situation matters: blended families, families with vulnerable beneficiaries, and families with complex distribution preferences cost more than simple families with clear preferences. Complexity of assets matters: complex portfolios with multi-state property, business interests, or specialized investments cost more than modest assets without real estate. Number of beneficiaries and specific bequests matters: a plan with 15 specific bequests to specific individuals costs more to draft than a plan with simple distribution preferences. Tax planning provisions, business succession planning, and funding scope all affect pricing. The best approach is to discuss your specific situation rather than rely on average pricing that may or may not fit your circumstances.

Can you do estate planning yourself to save money?

Yes, technically. Kansas law doesn’t require an attorney to draft estate planning documents. You can use online template services (LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and similar), buy form books, or write your own documents from scratch. The savings come from avoiding attorney fees; the risks come from getting it wrong. Common DIY mistakes include execution errors that invalidate documents (missing witnesses, improper signing, lack of notarization), template language that doesn’t fit specific family situations, beneficiary designation mismatches that override the will, unfunded trusts that don’t accomplish their purpose, and gaps where documents that should coordinate with each other don’t. For very simple situations (single adult with few assets, no dependents, clear inheritance preferences), DIY may work. For most families with real estate, dependents, or specific wishes, the upfront savings often disappear when problems surface later. The cost of fixing DIY mistakes (through probate complications, family disputes, or attorney work to repair the original documents) typically exceeds the cost of attorney-drafted documents in the first place.