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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. The reason that matters here: Arkansas sets the attorney’s fee in probate by statute (Ark. Code Ann. § 28-48-108(d)(2)), so what you avoid by having a trust is a fixed, non-negotiable number — not an estimate.
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.
What Arkansas Probate Costs by Statute
Arkansas is one of the few states that sets the attorney’s fee by statute, not just the executor’s.
| Estate Value | Statutory Fee (attorney) |
|---|---|
| $100,000 estate | $3,300 |
| $250,000 estate | $7,425 |
| $500,000 estate | $14,050 |
| $1,000,000 estate | $26,550 |
| $2,000,000 estate | $46,550 |
Computed from Ark. Code Ann. § 28-48-108(d)(2). Court filing fees, bond, publication, and appraisal costs are additional. Full detail: 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
| With a Trust | Without | |
|---|---|---|
| Cost | Attorney fees at creation ($2,500–$5,000) | Statutory schedule: ~2.5%–5% of estate value |
| Timeline | Weeks to a few months | 6–12 months (simple); 12–24 months (complex) |
| Privacy | Private | Public court record |
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?
By statute. Under Ark. Code Ann. § 28-48-108(d)(2), the attorney is compensated on a fixed schedule — about $14,050 on a $500,000 estate. That figure is the cost of not planning.
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?
6–12 months (simple); 12–24 months (complex) 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 Arkansas and takes about an hour.
More: Living trust costs nationwide · Arkansas estate planning guide · Funding your trust
Last updated: August 2026. Educational information, not legal advice or a quote.