Is this for me?

Whether this is the right tool for you

This service fits a specific situation well and other situations badly. Here's the honest version, so you can rule it out in two minutes if it's not for you.

It probably fits if

The estate is mostly a house, a couple of bank accounts, and a car

Everyone who inherits is in agreement

There's enough in the estate to cover what's owed

You can gather documents and follow written instructions

You'd rather spend an afternoon on paperwork than $3,000 on a lawyer

It does not fit if

The heirs disagree, or someone is threatening to contest

The debts might be larger than the estate

There's a business to value, wind down, or sell

A minor inherits with no trust or guardian in place

Someone alleges the will was signed under pressure, or that assets are missing

None of these are paperwork problems, and paperwork will not fix them. If one describes your situation, hire an attorney licensed in your state — most state bar associations run a referral service.

What you actually get

You find out where you stand in three questions

Most people's first problem isn't the paperwork — it's not knowing whether they even have to go to court. The path finder answers that in about a minute, free, with the statute cited so you can check it.

One flat fee, quoted before you pay

Not an hourly rate that grows while you wait, and never a percentage of the estate. You see the price for your specific procedure before you spend anything.

The right forms, filled in from your answers

Selecting and completing the correct forms is most of what a small uncontested estate actually needs. That's the part we do.

The order to do things in

Which institution to call first, which document they'll want, and what has to happen before the next step will work. That sequence is where most of the wasted weeks go.

A straight answer when it's not worth it

If your situation needs a lawyer, we say so and point you to the state bar's referral service. We'd rather lose the sale than sell you a packet that gets rejected.

Your three options, fairly described

Entirely on your own

Court filing fees only

Free apart from the court's fees, and completely doable — the forms are public. The cost is time and the risk of picking the wrong procedure, which you usually discover weeks later at the clerk's window.

Farvel HQ

$149 or $249 flat

You get the right forms filled in, the filing instructions, and the notification order. You still file it and appear yourself. No advice about what you should do — only how the procedure works.

A probate attorney

$3,000–$5,000 typical

They can advise you, negotiate, and appear in court. Worth every penny when there's a dispute, an insolvent estate, or real money at stake. Overkill for a $40,000 estate everyone agrees on.

What we are not

We are not a law firm, and no one here is your attorney. We prepare documents at your direction and explain how court procedures work. We don't tell you what you should do, appear in court for you, or take a percentage of what you inherit.

That boundary is not fine print. It is the reason the fee is $149 instead of $3,000 — we only do the part that is paperwork.

Find your procedure Get the free checklist

Where to go next

How it worksWhat to gather, the four steps, and how long each route takes.Plain-language guideEvery probate word you'll meet, explained without jargon.