Simplified route
$50,000
Transfer by affidavit; waiting period not verified.
Eligibility and caveatsWisconsin estate administration
Wisconsin probate: rules, process, costs, executor fees and deadlines
Small-estate limit: $50,000
In Wisconsin, estates up to $50,000 can use the small-estate route; executors take a 2% commission (Wis. Stat. § 857.05); and the court sets a claim deadline three to four months after its order. Wisconsin has separate transfer-by-affidavit, summary-settlement, and summary-assignment procedures. The calculator screens the $50,000 gross-value affidavit; the court's summary-settlement test is described separately.
Sources reviewed August 9, 2026. Sources rechecked October 3, 2026. This page last revised .
Answer first
Wisconsin simplified probate route
Up to $50,000; waiting period not verified. Source: Wis. Stat. § 867.03.
Transfer by affidavitWisconsin probate fees fixed by statute, by estate size
Wisconsin fixes two probate charges statewide: the Circuit Court filing charge (Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2) and the commission (Wis. Stat. § 857.05, subject to court approval, unless a written agreement sets another rate). Together, at three estate sizes:
| Estate | Filing | Commission | Together | Share of estate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| $50,000 | $100 | $1,000 | $1,100 | 2.20% |
| $250,000 | $500 | $5,000 | $5,500 | 2.20% |
| $750,000 | $1,500 | $15,000 | $16,500 | 2.20% |
Commission worked on the inventory value of the property for which the personal representative is accountable less any mortgages or liens plus net principal gains, taken as the estate size; lawyer, bond, notice and appraisal costs are extra. Each side in detail: Wisconsin probate filing cost and Wisconsin executor fee calculator.
Screen a specific Wisconsin estate with the calculators on the small-estate page and the executor-fee page, or compare states in the full estate navigator.
What the reviewed rules establish
Court cost
Tiered
2 published schedules, itemised on the filing-cost page.
Filing-cost detailExecutor compensation
Statutory schedule
A statutory percentage schedule applies. Source: Wis. Stat. § 857.05.
Compensation detailCreditor deadline
Multiple triggers
Wis. Stat. §§ 859.01-.02 (Wisconsin Legislative Reference Bureau; reviewed August 9, 2026)
Timeline and creditor detailsWisconsin decision map
The four facts that change the Wisconsin route
Each Wisconsin answer below links to the page that sets out its source.
| Question | Recorded Wisconsin answer |
|---|---|
| What route is being screened? | Transfer by affidavit |
| What property and basis count? | probate property within the rule's stated scope; gross value for this route. |
| What is the amount screen? | $50,000 |
| What is the time or deadline record? | No waiting-period number verified; creditor deadlines: separate clocks by triggering event |
| What does the cost record establish? | 2 published schedules; the proceeding and value basis control the total. |
| What does compensation use? | Statutory percentage schedule, measured on the estate accounting. |
Limits and unresolved costs
- A new filing-fee schedule takes effect on November 1, 2026. The fees shown are the ones in force before that date, so check the new schedule if you file on or after November 1, 2026.
- Section 867.03's 30-day hold applies only in some cases, so it is not shown as a waiting period that runs from death for every estate.
Continue
What Wisconsin courts publish
Each link goes to the court’s own page and is checked before every release.
- Official formPR-1831, Transfer by Affidavit (PDF)Wisconsin Court System
- Forms indexCircuit court probate formsWisconsin Court System
- Self-help centreProbate self-helpWisconsin Court System
- Court resourceWisconsin circuit courtsWisconsin Court System
Limits on court material
- Wisconsin publishes statewide probate forms, including PR-1831 for the affidavit track.
- Probate jurisdiction is in Circuit Court; use the statewide circuit-court directory for county contact details.
Wisconsin primary sources
Each rule on the Wisconsin pages comes from one of these 6 sources; the citation opens the publisher’s own text. All were last rechecked October 3, 2026.
Simplified-procedure rule
Wis. Stat. § 867.03, Wisconsin Statutes, Transfer by Affidavit.
Simplified-procedure rule
Wis. Stat. § 867.01, Wisconsin Statutes, Summary Settlement of Small Estates.
Court cost rule
Wis. Stat. § 814.66(1)(a)2, Wisconsin Statutes, Fees of Register in Probate.
Executor compensation rule
Wis. Stat. § 857.05, Wisconsin Statutes, Personal Representative Expenses and Services.
Creditor deadline rule
Wis. Stat. §§ 859.01-.02, Wisconsin Statutes, Time for Filing Claims.
Creditor deadline rule
Wis. Stat. § 859.48, Wisconsin Statutes, Claims of Creditors Without Notice.
Sources rechecked October 3, 2026: Wisconsin source list · how sources are checked · report a correction