Yes, Personal Representatives are entitled to be paid for their time and expenses. The law presumes that the Personal Representative performs his or her duties with an expectation of payment. Sometimes the Will states how much the Personal Representative is paid. If the Personal Representative feels the compensation stated in the Will is not enough, the Personal Representative can decline to take those fees and ask the court to award “reasonable” fees.

Determining Reasonable Fees

Also, if there is no compensation provided for in the Will, the Personal Representative can ask the court to award “reasonable” fees. In determining what a reasonable fee is, the court looks at the value of the overall estate, the nature and complexity of the services performed, the time spent performing such duties, and hourly rates for the type of work performed.

Douglas N. Kiger, Attorney at Law

Blado Kiger Bolan, Tacoma, Wash.