Losing someone is hard; the probate paperwork shouldn't make it harder. When a Kentucky resident dies leaving a will, real estate, or any meaningful estate to settle, probate is the court-supervised process that makes the transfer official. I handle Kentucky probate at flat fees, published below — and before any of that, we have a free 20-minute scoping call about your probate matter. No charge. No engagement letter at the call.
Probate is the court-supervised process under KRS Chapter 395 by which a Kentucky District Court (i) appoints a personal representative — an executor if there is a will, an administrator if there is not — (ii) inventories the estate, (iii) confirms creditors are paid and taxes filed, and (iv) authorizes distribution of the remaining assets to the heirs or beneficiaries.
Kentucky uses a District Court probate system, not the family Circuit Court. Most Kentucky probate matters are handled in the county where the decedent was domiciled at death. The court does not run the estate — the personal representative does, on the court's authority. The lawyer's job is to keep that work clean, on schedule, and accurately documented.
Kentucky requires a six-month creditor period from the date the personal representative is appointed (KRS 396.011(1); if no personal representative is ever appointed, the outer bar is two years from death). Distribution before that period closes is possible but exposes the personal representative to personal liability if late-arriving valid claims surface. For most estates, the floor is six months from appointment.
Twelve months is more typical when the estate has real property to convey, out-of-state assets, contested bequests, or creditor claims to negotiate. Eighteen-plus months happens when there is litigation — a will contest, a disputed creditor, or a fiduciary-duty challenge.
I tell you the realistic timeline at the consult, not after you've engaged.
Single executor, modest estate (under approximately $200K), no real-property transfers requiring deed work, no will contests, no minor-heir guardianship complications. Flat $1,500 to Johnson Legal PLLC, paid on engagement.
Multi-property estate, multiple beneficiaries, executor coordination across out-of-state assets, business-succession integration, or federal estate-tax coordination if the estate exceeds the federal threshold. (The federal estate-tax return itself is a separate tax filing quoted separately, not inside the flat fee.) Flat $3,000 to Johnson Legal PLLC, paid on engagement.
Will contests, fiduciary-duty challenges, contested bequests, and other litigation-class probate matters are quoted separately under engagement-letter amendment at hourly rates. Not part of the published flat-fee schedule.
Court filing fees, recording fees, appraiser fees, accountant fees, surety bond premiums, and any required publication costs are paid separately by the estate at actual cost. The flat fee is the firm's legal-services fee only.
Probate is required when the decedent owned solely-titled real estate or financial accounts without a beneficiary designation, when a Kentucky-format will needs to be admitted to court, or when creditors need a formal forum to present claims. It is generally not required when all assets pass by beneficiary designation (life insurance, retirement accounts), are held in joint tenancy with right of survivorship, or are titled in a properly funded revocable trust.
Kentucky also offers a streamlined small-estate procedure for estates that fall under a statutory dollar threshold — useful when there is a single bank account or vehicle to retitle and no need for a full probate. And some estates need no administration at all: Kentucky can transfer a small estate's assets without administration where the surviving-spouse exemption and preferred claims cover the probatable assets (KRS 395.455). We'll tell you at the scoping call whether full probate, the small-estate procedure, transfer without administration, or no probate at all is the right path, and confirm the controlling statute and threshold applicable to your matter.
Original wet-ink-signed will preferred. Kentucky procedure does allow a copy to be admitted in limited circumstances, but the original is materially easier. We'll discuss the controlling statute if a copy is all you have.
Certified copy from the Kentucky Office of Vital Statistics. Bring two to three copies — the court, the bank, and the title company will each ask for one.
Every financial account, every parcel of real estate, every vehicle, and any meaningful personal property. Round numbers are fine at the consult; exact figures come later in the inventory.
Mortgages, credit cards, medical bills, tax obligations, and any active lawsuits or judgments. Creditor claims drive the six-month clock.
Required for notice in Kentucky probate proceedings. If addresses are unknown, tell me at the consult — we can arrange notice by publication where the controlling statute permits.
A free 20-minute scoping call, no charge. We talk through what you're facing, the right path (full probate, small-estate, transfer without administration, or no probate at all), the realistic timeline, and the flat fee. No engagement letter at the call — that comes after we've confirmed the firm can take the matter and you've had a chance to think it over.
If you're in the earliest days and just looking for what to do first, the Bluegrass Cornerstone “After a loss” guide may help — bluegrasscornerstone.com/learn/after-a-loss.
