Estate Planning Packages & Pricing

Most people put off estate planning for one of two reasons. The first is the documents themselves feel premature — "we're fine, we have time." The second is the bill — clients have been burned by hourly-billed firms where the quote at the kitchen table and the invoice at the end are two different numbers. We solved the second problem with flat-fee pricing quoted in writing before any work starts. The first problem is the one only you can solve. The clients who tell us they wish they had done this years ago all say the same thing: it took less time, less money, and less emotional weight than they expected.

Flat-Fee Estate Planning: No Surprises

At Simon Law Group, LLC, estate-planning fees are quoted before drafting begins, in writing, and by package scope. The point is not simply to publish a price; it is to make the engagement predictable. A will-only plan, a reciprocal couple plan, a healthcare directive, and a trust-based plan do not require the same analysis, so they should not be priced as if they do. Our quotes reflect the document set, family structure, fiduciary choices, beneficiary issues, and execution requirements involved.

Too many New Jersey families delay estate planning because they fear unpredictable legal bills. Flat-fee work removes that barrier while preserving professional judgment: reasonable questions and ordinary drafting revisions are part of the process; material scope changes are quoted before additional work proceeds. You should understand both the documents being prepared and the fee for preparing them before you authorize the work.

Our Estate Planning Packages

Will or Trust: Matching the Structure to Your Situation

The most common question we hear during consultations is whether a will is sufficient or whether a trust is the better approach. The answer depends on your assets, your family structure, and your goals. Here is a straightforward comparison:

Unlike some states, New Jersey does not impose a percentage-based statutory probate fee. The cost of probate and estate administration varies with the size and complexity of the estate, whether the executor takes a commission (commissions are capped by N.J.S.A. 3B:18-14source and are frequently reduced or waived when a family member serves), and the attorney work involved; for many estates it falls in the range of roughly 1 to 4 percent. On a $500,000 estate, that often means on the order of $5,000 to $20,000. A trust-based plan can reduce these costs, and for assets that pass through the trust it can largely avoid probate altogether; whether it pays for itself depends on the family's particular circumstances.

Trust-Based Plans: A Plan Tier, Not an Upsell

A trust-based plan is its own tier of planning, not an extra bolted onto a will. When the situations above apply, it is frequently the structure that does what a family actually wants done. Trust-based estate plans are quoted individually because the complexity varies significantly. A straightforward revocable living trust for a married couple differs substantially from a plan involving irrevocable trusts, special needs trusts, or asset protection structures. Every trust-based plan includes:

• Revocable living trust document with customized provisions
• Pour-over will (catches any assets not titled in the trust)
• Durable financial power of attorney
• Advance healthcare directive with HIPAA authorization
• Certificate of trust for financial institutions
• Trust funding instructions and assistance with retitling assets
• Deed preparation for transferring real property into the trust
• Beneficiary designation coordination for retirement accounts and life insurance

Add-On Services

Depending on your situation, additional documents or services may be recommended. These are quoted separately and discussed during your consultation:

• Irrevocable Trust: For asset protection, Medicaid planning, or estate tax reduction
• Special Needs Trust: For families with a beneficiary who receives government benefits
• Pet Trust: Legal protection for your animals under N.J.S.A. 3B:31-24source
• Deed Transfer: Transferring real property into a trust or between family members
• Beneficiary Designation Review: Comprehensive review and update of all retirement account, insurance, and financial account beneficiary designations
• Annual Review Service: Ongoing annual review of your estate plan to ensure it remains current

What Is Included in Every Package

• Free initial consultation (phone, video, or in-person)
• Comprehensive estate planning questionnaire
• Attorney drafting and review of all documents
• Up to three reasonable drafting-revision rounds within the agreed scope
• Signing and execution with witnesses and notarization
• Complete set of original documents for your records
• Digital copies stored securely in our system
• Trust funding guidance (for trust-based plans)

Secure Online Payment

Fees are collected through the secure payment route stated in the engagement workflow. We accept eligible credit card, debit card, and electronic-check payments through our secure online payment portal, processed by LawPay or Stripe depending on the payment route shown at checkout. Payment details are handled by the payment processor and transmitted over encrypted connections.

Frequently Asked Questions About Estate Planning Costs

How much does estate planning cost in New Jersey?

Wills from $650 / $950; Complete Estate Plans from $1,250 / $1,800. All flat-fee.

At Simon Law Group, LLC, a last will and testament starts at $650 individual / $950 reciprocal couple. A Complete Estate Plan (will, financial power of attorney under N.J.S.A. 46:2B-8.1source, and advance healthcare directive under N.J.S.A. 26:2H-53source) starts at $1,250 individual / $1,800 couple. Trust-based plans are quoted after consultation because family structure, real estate, tax concerns, beneficiary issues, and incapacity planning can materially change the work. Every fee is quoted in writing before work begins.

What's included in the Complete Estate Plan package?

Will + Durable POA + Advance Healthcare Directive + HIPAA + signing and execution.

The Complete Estate Plan includes a customized last will and testament, a durable financial power of attorney under N.J.S.A. 46:2B-8.1source, an advance healthcare directive with HIPAA authorization under N.J.S.A. 26:2H-53source, guardian designations for minor children, executor/agent appointments with alternates, a coordinated beneficiary-designation review (because retirement accounts and life insurance pass outside the will), and signing and execution with witnesses and notarization. It covers the three foundational documents most adults should have in place; depending on your assets, your family structure, and your goals, a trust-based plan may be the better fit, and we tell you which structure fits at the consultation.

How much does a revocable living trust cost in NJ?

Quoted individually after consultation. New Jersey has no percentage-based statutory probate fee; administration costs often run roughly 1 to 4 percent of the estate, and a trust can reduce the probate-related portion.

Trust-based plans are quoted individually because the complexity varies — single vs. married, real estate count, blended family, second-marriage planning, special-needs beneficiaries, and out-of-state property all change the analysis. New Jersey does not impose the percentage-based statutory probate fees seen in some states; administration costs (executor commissions, which are capped by statute and often reduced or waived by family fiduciaries, plus reasonable attorney fees and modest Surrogate's Court fees) more typically run in the range of roughly 1 to 4 percent of the estate, which on a $1 million estate is often on the order of $10,000 to $40,000 in fees and time. Trust pricing includes the trust document, a pour-over will, trust-funding guidance, and the ancillary documents needed for execution.

Are there any hidden fees or hourly charges?

No. Every service is flat-fee quoted in advance, with scope changes quoted before added work proceeds.

Every service is provided at a flat fee quoted in advance. Within the agreed scope, you should not receive an unexpected bill. Reasonable calls and emails with your attorney during the drafting process are included at no additional charge. The quoted fee includes up to three reasonable rounds of revisions within the agreed scope. The only thing that increases price is a genuine scope change — adding a trust to a will-only engagement, for example — and we tell you in writing before any change takes effect.

Do I need a trust, or is a will enough?

Depends on assets, family, and goals. We tell you straight at the consult.

A will is sufficient for many individuals with straightforward estates and modest assets. A trust is the better tool if you want to avoid probate, you own real estate (especially out-of-state), you have minor children whose inheritance you want managed past age 18, you want privacy (probate is public record), or you have Medicaid planning concerns. The consult is where we look at the actual facts and tell you which structure fits. We don't sell trusts that aren't needed.

What if I already have a will from years ago?

Bring it. Most older wills should be refreshed; sometimes amendments are enough.

Bring the old will to the consultation. We will tell you whether it still does what you want and whether the named fiduciaries are still appropriate. Major life events — marriage, divorce, the birth of a child, the death of a beneficiary, a substantial change in assets, a move to or from New Jersey — usually warrant a refresh. Sometimes a codicil (amendment) is enough; more often a clean replacement is faster and cleaner than patching the old document.

Related Estate Planning Resources

• Estate Planning Overview
• Our Process & Timeline
• Get Started — submit a consultation request
• Revocable Living Trusts
• Wills & Testaments

Request a Consultation

The best way to determine which package is right for you is to speak with the firm. Consultation requests are complimentary, begin with firm review, and include a clear fee quote before any work begins. Call (800) 709-1131 or contact us online to get started.