The most common question Palm Beach families ask is also the hardest to answer in a single number: what does estate planning cost? The honest answer is that price depends on what you need, but the structure of how attorneys charge is predictable. Here is how Florida estate planning is typically priced, what drives the cost up or down, and how the price compares to doing nothing.
Flat Fees vs. Hourly
Most Palm Beach estate planning is billed as a flat fee for a defined package, rather than hourly, because the scope is known in advance. A flat fee gives you certainty: you know the total before you sign an engagement letter. Hourly billing is more common for unusual or contested matters, where the scope cannot be predicted. When you call a firm, ask which model applies and exactly what documents the quoted fee includes.
What Drives the Price
Several factors move the number. A basic package, typically a will, durable power of attorney under Chapter 709, health care surrogate under §765.202, and a living will, sits at the lower end. Adding a revocable living trust under Chapter 736 raises the fee because the trust must be drafted and, crucially, funded. Florida-specific complexity such as homestead structuring (Article X, Section 4), a blended family, business interests, or out-of-state property all add drafting time. Because Florida imposes no state estate or inheritance tax, most Palm Beach families avoid the cost of complex federal tax planning that drives prices up elsewhere.
The Timeline You Are Paying For
A core document package generally takes two to three weeks from your first meeting to signing, allowing time for drafting, review, and a properly witnessed and notarized signing under §732.502 and §732.503. A trust-based plan can take a few weeks longer because retitling assets into the trust is part of the job, not an afterthought.
The Real Comparison: Planning vs. Probate
The cost of planning is best measured against the cost of not planning. Florida formal administration under Chapter 733 typically requires an attorney, runs for months, and generates court and professional fees that often dwarf the cost of a plan that would have avoided or simplified it. Even summary administration under Chapter 735, available when the estate is $75,000 or less or two years have passed, carries filing costs and delay. A court guardianship triggered by missing incapacity documents is costlier still.
Getting an Accurate Quote
Avoid pricing your plan from generic online figures. Ask a Palm Beach attorney for a written, itemized flat-fee quote that lists each document and whether trust funding is included. That single step prevents most of the surprises people associate with legal fees.
Consult a Florida Attorney
Pricing depends on your specific assets and family, and only a review can produce a real number. A licensed Florida estate planning attorney serving Palm Beach can quote a flat fee after a short consultation. This article is general information, not legal advice.
Have a question about your estate?
Talk it through with Russel Morgan — free 30-minute consult.
For more on our Florida practice, see our overview of powers of attorney in Florida. Morgan Legal Group's affiliated New York office also handles .
