Updated September 7, 2026. Quick answer: Alabama sets no single statewide probate filing fee. Jefferson County (Birmingham), the state’s most populous, charges $175.00 to probate a will and $57.00 to open an administration when there is no will.
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A living trust avoids probate entirely in Alabama, which means the estate skips the $175.00 above along with every other cost the court charges once a case is open. LawDepot builds a state-specific one.
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What Alabama charges to open probate
Alabama sets no single statewide figure for this fee; each county’s probate court sets its own schedule, so the exact amount depends on where the estate is opened.
| Probate of a will (Jefferson County) | $175.00 |
| Administration, no will (Jefferson County) | $57.00 |
| Successor letters (Jefferson County) | $56.00 |
| Alabama’s own statewide figure | none set; every county sets its own schedule |
Every one of Alabama’s 67 counties sets its own probate-court fee schedule; Jefferson County’s is shown as the largest-county example. Baldwin County charges $58/$68 for the same filings, cross-checked from its own official fee page.
Where this money goes and who sets it
The authority for this figure is Ala. Code § 12-19-90 (statutory basis); Jefferson County Probate Court fee schedule, effective 10/15/25. In the source’s own words: “Will (Probate of): $175.00”
What this fee doesn’t cover
Because Alabama leaves this to each county, the same estate could cost more or less to open depending on which county courthouse handles it. Either way, this is the court’s own charge just to open the file and issue letters, separate from what an attorney charges to actually handle the estate and separate from any state estate or inheritance tax the estate itself might owe.
Sources
Source: Ala. Code § 12-19-90 (statutory basis); Jefferson County Probate Court fee schedule, effective 10/15/25.