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A living trust in Utah costs $900 – $2,700 attorney-drafted, $1,500 – $3,500 for a couple’s full plan, or $100–$600 online. Probate in Utah is cheaper and simpler than in states with statutory fee schedules, so the honest case for a trust here rests on privacy, incapacity planning, and speed more than on avoided cost.
For a straightforward Utah estate, online is a reasonable route.
If your assets are in Utah only, with no blended family and no estate-tax exposure, an online service like Trust & Will produces a complete Utah trust in about an hour.
Disclosure: we earn a commission if you buy through the Trust & Will links here, at no extra cost to you. Complex situations belong with an attorney and we say so below.
Utah Living Trust Cost (2026)
| What You’re Paying For | Utah Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Online trust service | $100 – $600 | Utah-specific documents; funding is on you |
| Simple will (attorney) | $250 – $800 | Does not avoid probate |
| Living trust, attorney-drafted | $900 – $2,700 | Individual, straightforward assets |
| Full estate plan (couple) | $1,500 – $3,500 | Trust + will + POA + directive |
| Deed transfer into trust | $150 – $400 per property | Every Utah property needs one |
Typical flat fees reported by Utah attorneys and legal directories, reviewed quarterly. A guide, not a quote.
What Probate Actually Costs in Utah
- Avoids probate: — assets pass directly to beneficiaries without court involvement
- DAPT available: — Utah allows self-settled asset protection trusts (Title 75B, Ch. 1, Part 3) with a 120-day minimum creditor notice period — one of the shortest nationally
- Court system: District courts handle probate (no separate probate court)
- Probate code: Full Uniform Probate Code adopted (Title 75)
- Default: Unsupervised administration — personal representative acts independently
- Informal probate: Application to registrar — most common for uncontested estates
- Small estate affidavit: Personal property up to $100,000 (30 days after death; vehicles/boats/trailers excluded from limit)
- Typical timeline: 9–18 months
- Court filing fee: $375
- Homestead exemption: $52,400 individual / $104,800 married (indexed)
- Pre-existing creditors: have a 2-year window from the transfer date (§75B-1-302(6))
| Item | Utah |
|---|---|
| Simple will | $250 – $800 Single person, straightforward assets, no trust needed |
| TOD deed (per property) | $200 – $400 Quick, low-cost probate avoidance for a single property |
| Full estate plan package (trust + will + POA + advance directive) | $900 – $3,900+ Most families — this is what you actually need |
Full Utah probate rules and thresholds: our Utah estate planning guide.
What each price point buys in Utah
- $100–$600 (online): A valid Utah trust document, pour-over will, and directives. You do the funding — every Utah deed transfer, every account retitling.
- $900 – $2,700 (attorney, individual): Custom drafting, review of how your assets are titled, and usually one deed included. Confirm that last part before you sign.
- $1,500 – $3,500 (attorney, couple): Adds marital property planning.
Does your estate even need probate in Utah?
Before paying for anything, check whether Utah would require full probate at all. The state’s simplified route: Personal property up to $100,000 (30 days after death; vehicles/boats/trailers excluded from limit) Estates that fit under it can often transfer by affidavit or summary procedure, with no personal representative and no attorney — which makes a trust a convenience decision rather than a cost-avoidance one. Estates above it are where the numbers above start to bite.
Trust vs. probate in Utah
| With a Trust | Without | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | $900–$3,900 (one-time trust creation) | $2,000–$5,000+ in attorney fees + $375 court filing + publication costs |
| Timeline | Weeks to a few months | 9–18 months |
| Privacy | Private | Public court record |
Online or Utah Attorney?
| Situation | Route |
|---|---|
| Assets only in Utah, standard estate | Online service |
| Property in 2+ states, blended family, business | Attorney |
The dividing line is funding, not drafting. Online documents are valid in Utah; what they don’t do is retitle your assets. See funding your trust.
Other Utah rules that affect the plan
- Privacy: — trust assets don’t become public court records
- Incapacity protection: — successor trustee steps in without court-appointed guardianship
- Does NOT protect from Medicaid recovery: — Utah uses expanded recovery
- Dynasty trusts: Up to 1,000 years (§75-2-1203 — USRAP modified)
- Medicaid protection: — if funded 5+ years before applying
- Directed trusts: — split trustee duties among multiple parties
- Trust decanting: — newly added by SB 206 (2026), allowing trustees to move assets to a new trust with updated terms
- TOD deeds available: (§75-6-401 et seq.)
- Trust income tax: 4.50% flat rate (2025, reduced from 4.55%)
- Common law: (separate property) state
- Tenancy by the entirety: Available for married couples (treated as joint tenancy, §57-1-5)
- Joint tenancy: Now the default for co-owned property (May 2024, HB 37)
Recent Utah Changes Worth Knowing
- 2025 — Income Tax Reduction: Flat rate reduced from 4.55% to 4.50%, effective January 1, 2025. Applies to trusts and estates.
- 2024 — HB 37 (Joint Tenancy Default): Effective May 1, 2024. Any two or more persons on a deed are now presumed to hold as joint tenants with right of survivorship. Not retroactive.
Living trust costs in nearby states
Attorney pricing and probate rules shift at the state line — compare Utah with Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, Idaho.
When to Hire An Utah Attorney
Online stops being the right answer when the estate has moving parts: property in more than one state, a blended family, a business, or anyone you intend to exclude.
- Get two or three flat-fee quotes. Identical work varies by $1,000+ inside one metro.
- Ask what’s included. Deed transfers run $150–$400 each and are often quoted separately.
- Don’t buy complexity you don’t have.
Three ways to pay less in Utah
- Compare two or three flat-fee quotes. Identical Utah trust packages vary by $1,000 or more inside the same metro, and almost nobody shops it.
- Count the deeds before comparing prices. At $150–$400 apiece, with properties in multiple counties each needing their own recorded transfer, a quote including one deed can beat a cheaper quote including none.
- Check the simplified threshold first. Personal property up to $100,000 (30 days after death; vehicles/boats/trailers excluded from limit) If your estate clears that, you may be buying convenience rather than savings.
Official sources: le.utah.gov · le.utah.gov · le.utah.gov · tax.utah.gov
FAQ
How much does a living trust cost in Utah?
$900 – $2,700 attorney-drafted, $1,500 – $3,500 for a couple’s full estate plan, or $100 to $600 through an online service. Add $150 to $400 per property for the deed transfers that fund it.
Is a living trust worth it in Utah?
A trust costs $900–$3,900 (one-time trust creation) once, against probate at $2,000–$5,000+ in attorney fees + $375 court filing + publication costs.
Can I make my own living trust in Utah?
Yes — online services produce valid Utah documents. The risk is funding: a trust that doesn’t hold title to your home doesn’t avoid probate for it.
Can a small estate skip probate in Utah?
Often, yes. Utah’s simplified threshold: Personal property up to $100,000 (30 days after death; vehicles/boats/trailers excluded from limit) Estates under it may transfer without full administration, which changes whether a trust is worth paying for.
How long does probate take in Utah?
9–18 months A funded trust typically distributes in weeks to a few months instead, and without the public court file.
If the online route fits your situation, Trust & Will’s trust plan covers Utah and takes about an hour.
More: Living trust costs nationwide · Utah estate planning guide · Funding your trust
Last updated: August 2026. Educational information, not legal advice or a quote.