Sources and review dates
- Jurisdictions covered
- 51
- Primary-source records
- 269
- Rule statements confirmed
- 1006 of 1006
- Source review dated
- October 3, 2026
Follow the proof trail
Start with the JSON source catalog orCSV source catalog, or theCSL citation export. Each record names its publisher, citation, verbatim quotation, source URL, and last verification date.
The methodology explains source selection and the checks; theeditorial policy sets the publication threshold and forbids silent gaps; and the correction log records what changed and why.
What one source record contains
A source record is more than a link in a bibliography. It identifies the legal publisher, the formal citation, the exact passage used, the jurisdiction and rule it supports, and the date that passage was last checked. The quotation is kept verbatim so a reader can compare the published answer with the text that establishes it. An editorial note records limits such as a county-dependent charge, a value basis that differs from the gross estate, or a rule that changes with the date of death.
The source review record adds named conditions to those records. Each condition is something the source must still say, such as a threshold, rate band, deadline, or definition. Before each release the publisher’s current page is read again and every condition is checked against its text. This does not turn a court page into a guarantee about a reader’s case; it makes the site’s own dependency on that page visible and repeatable.
What to check in a citation
Use this checklist when inspecting an exported record or following its source link. These fields are the minimum proof trail for a published legal value; a missing field is a reason to withhold or correct the answer, not a detail to infer.
- Publisher: the public body or court that issued the source.
- Citation: the statute, rule, schedule, or official page identifier.
- Verbatim quotation: the passage used, preserved for comparison.
- Scope: the jurisdiction and estate rule the record supports.
- Checked date: when the source passage was last rechecked.
- Conditions: the value limit, timing rule or exception that changes whether the figure applies.
When a figure cannot be confirmed
A figure is published only when its controlling source and conditions are known. If the source cannot support a statewide number, the page says what remains unknown and points to the authority that can resolve it. Unknown is not converted to zero, an average, or a neighbouring state’s rule. That distinction matters most for filing costs, local surcharges, reasonable compensation, and procedures whose eligibility depends on facts the tool does not collect.
This source review is separate from a professional credential. Estate Settlement Cost is an independent informational site, not a law firm, court, government agency, or filing service. It makes no attorney-review claim and does not present its own summary as the law. The court and a licensed professional in the relevant jurisdiction remain the authorities for a particular estate. The purpose of this page is to show how the site reached a general-information answer and where that answer stops.
Corrections are part of the record
A source can change, a court can publish a more specific schedule, or an earlier interpretation can prove too broad. When that happens, the affected figure is rechecked against the primary source before the answer is changed. The correction log names the affected citation and describes what was wrong; it does not hide the change behind a generic “updated” label. A reader who finds a conflict can send the source URL and affected page through the contact path so the same check can be reproduced.
This review records the sources used on the stated date. Rules can change after that date. Use the linked catalog for the current record, note the displayed verification date when citing the work, and follow the official publisher link before relying on a rule in a live estate.
What this proves, and what it does not
The review describes the sources this site used at the snapshot date. It does not claim attorney review, a government affiliation, or that this site replaces the court or a licensed professional. Where the primary source does not support a figure, the published answer keeps the gap explicit.