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A living trust in Arkansas costs $1,200 – $2,500 attorney-drafted, $1,800 – $3,500 for a couple’s full plan, or $100–$600 online. Compare the cost of preparing and funding the trust with an itemized probate estimate for your assets. A fee schedule alone does not establish what your family would save.
Statutory probate fees are the argument for planning ahead in Arkansas.
If your assets are in Arkansas only, with no blended family and no estate-tax exposure, an online service like Trust & Will produces a complete Arkansas 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.
Arkansas Living Trust Cost (2026)
| What You’re Paying For | Arkansas Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Online trust service | $100 – $600 | Arkansas-specific documents; funding is on you |
| Living trust, attorney-drafted | $1,200 – $2,500 | Individual, straightforward assets |
| Full estate plan (couple) | $1,800 – $3,500 | Trust + will + POA + directive |
| Deed transfer into trust | $150 – $400 per property | Every Arkansas property needs one |
Typical flat fees reported by Arkansas attorneys and legal directories, reviewed quarterly. A guide, not a quote.
Probate fees in Arkansas: what the schedule covers
Arkansas provides an attorney fee schedule based on the market value of real and personal property reportable to the circuit court, unless otherwise contracted with the personal representative, heirs, and beneficiaries. The court must adjust a scheduled fee that is excessive or insufficient for the legal services. Personal representative compensation is addressed separately. These attorney fee illustrations therefore are not fixed probate totals or guaranteed trust savings.
| Reportable property value used for the attorney schedule | Scheduled attorney fee illustration |
|---|---|
| $100,000 | $3,300 |
| $250,000 | $7,425 |
| $500,000 | $14,050 |
| $1,000,000 | $26,550 |
| $2,000,000 | $46,550 |
Source: Ark. Code 28-48-108 (2025 text). Fee basis checked September 10, 2026. Ask separately about court charges, legal or fiduciary compensation not included above, and other administration expenses.
For other state rules and transfer options, see our Arkansas estate planning guide.
What each price point buys in Arkansas
- $100–$600 (online): A valid Arkansas trust document, pour-over will, and directives. You do the funding — every Arkansas deed transfer, every account retitling.
- $1,200 – $2,500 (attorney, individual): Custom drafting, review of how your assets are titled, and usually one deed included. Confirm that last part before you sign.
- $1,800 – $3,500 (attorney, couple): Adds marital property planning.
Trust vs. probate in Arkansas
| Consideration | With a funded living trust | Assets requiring probate |
|---|---|---|
| Costs to compare | Document preparation, asset transfers, later updates, and administration after death. Ask separately about trustee, legal, and accounting charges. | Court charges, executor or administrator compensation, legal fees, and other administration expenses. Request an itemized estimate. |
| Timing | Ask how debts, taxes, property sales, and distributions affect the settlement schedule; avoid assuming an immediate payout. | Ask about the required court process, creditor deadlines, and any sales or disputes that could delay closing. |
| Records | Ordinary trust administration generally takes place outside probate court; a court dispute can still create public records. | Probate involves court filings; ask the court which records are public. |
Compare the same assets and services on both sides. A trust’s purchase price alone is not its lifetime cost, and assets left outside the trust may still need probate. See how to fund a trust.
Online or Arkansas Attorney?
| Situation | Route |
|---|---|
| Assets only in Arkansas, standard estate | Online service |
| Property in 2+ states, blended family, business | Attorney |
The dividing line is funding, not drafting. Online documents are valid in Arkansas; what they don’t do is retitle your assets. See funding your trust.
Other Arkansas rules that affect the plan
- Real property: Surviving spouse receives a one-third life estate in all real property the deceased spouse owned at any time during the marriage
- Personal property: Surviving spouse receives one-third absolute ownership of personal property owned at death
- Public record: Yes — all filings are public
- State estate tax: None
- Inheritance tax: None
- Gift tax: None
- Community property: No — common law (equitable distribution)
- Dower/curtesy: Yes — one of only 3 states
- Trust duration limit: 90 years (constitutional RAP)
- March 2023: Act 293 enacted — Trust decanting authorized, allowing trustees to modify irrevocable trust terms by transferring assets to a new trust without court approval.
- January 2020: Uniform Directed Trust Act (Act 1021 of 2019) takes effect, allowing trust directors to manage specific aspects of trust administration while limiting directed trustee liability.
- July 2017: POLST program established (Act 504 of 2017), giving patients a physician-signed order for life-sustaining treatment preferences.
Recent Arkansas Changes Worth Knowing
- March 2023: Act 293 enacted — Trust decanting authorized, allowing trustees to modify irrevocable trust terms by transferring assets to a new trust without court approval.
- January 2020: Uniform Directed Trust Act (Act 1021 of 2019) takes effect, allowing trust directors to manage specific aspects of trust administration while limiting directed trustee liability.
- July 2017: POLST program established (Act 504 of 2017), giving patients a physician-signed order for life-sustaining treatment preferences.
- 2017: Healthcare directive statutes consolidated (Act 974) into a single streamlined framework.
Living trust costs in nearby states
Attorney pricing and probate rules shift at the state line — compare Arkansas with Missouri, Tennessee, Texas, Oklahoma.
When to Hire An Arkansas 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 Arkansas
- Understand what the statute fixes and what it doesn’t. Ark. Code Ann. section 28-48-108(d)(2) sets the attorney figure in probate, but a trust sidesteps that schedule entirely — and trust drafting itself is never statutory, so those quotes are always negotiable.
- 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.
- Match the product to the situation. A home and retirement accounts in Arkansas only is the exact case the online route handles well.
Official sources: arcourts.gov · healthy.arkansas.gov · humanservices.arkansas.gov
FAQ
How much does a living trust cost in Arkansas?
$1,200 – $2,500 attorney-drafted, $1,800 – $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.
How are probate fees set in Arkansas?
Arkansas provides an attorney fee schedule based on the market value of real and personal property reportable to the circuit court, unless otherwise contracted with the personal representative, heirs, and beneficiaries. The court must adjust a scheduled fee that is excessive or insufficient for the legal services. Personal representative compensation is addressed separately. These attorney fee illustrations therefore are not fixed probate totals or guaranteed trust savings.
Can I make my own living trust in Arkansas?
Yes — online services produce valid Arkansas documents. The risk is funding: a trust that doesn’t hold title to your home doesn’t avoid probate for it.
How long does probate take in Arkansas?
The timetable depends on the procedure, creditor deadlines, taxes, property sales, and any disputes. Ask for an estimate based on the actual estate. A funded trust may avoid probate for trust assets, but settling the trust still takes time.
If the online route fits your situation, Trust & Will’s trust plan covers Arkansas and takes about an hour.
More: Living trust costs nationwide · Arkansas estate planning guide · Funding your trust
Probate-cost sections corrected September 10, 2026. Other state-rule sections last updated August 2026. Educational information, not legal advice or a quote.