Updated September 7, 2026. Quick answer: Tennessee’s statewide statutory base is $230.00 to open and close an estate; Knox County’s all-in total, once local litigation taxes stack on, is $389.50.
If a trust could save your estate this fee in Tennessee
A living trust avoids probate entirely in Tennessee, which means the estate skips the $230.00 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 Tennessee charges to open probate
This is a flat fee in Tennessee: $230.00 is what it costs whether the estate is worth $40,000 or $4,000,000.
| Statewide statutory base fee | $230.00 |
| Knox County all-in total (with local taxes) | $389.50 |
| Local add-ons above the statutory base | $159.50 |
Where this money goes and who sets it
The authority for this figure is Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-21-401(c)(1), amended to $230 by 2011 Public Chapter 886. In the source’s own words: “For opening and closing an estate, other than a small estate, two hundred twenty-five dollars ($225)”
What this fee doesn’t cover
Because Tennessee’s fee is flat, it doesn’t rise as the estate grows, but it also doesn’t shrink for a small, simple estate the way a percentage-based state’s fee would. 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: Tenn. Code Ann. § 8-21-401(c)(1), amended to $230 by 2011 Public Chapter 886.