Executor Commissions in a Probate Case

The Law Offices of Kenneth Vercammen & Associates, handles Probate, contesting wills, contesting estates, Probate disputes, inheritance problems, estate mismanagement and theft, undue influence, contentious probates, and other relevant issues. We encourage you to consult an attorney if you are faced with any of these situations.

There are three kinds of commission: Corpus commission (Title 3b: 18-25), income commission (Title 3b: 18-24), and termination commission (Title 3b: 18-28).

3B:18-14 Corpus commissions.

3B:18-14. Corpus commissions. Commissions on all corpus received by the fiduciary may be taken as follows:
5% on the first $200,000 of all corpus received by the fiduciary;
3.5% on the excess over $200,000 up to $1,000,000;
2% on the excess over $1,000,000; and
1% of all corpus for each additional fiduciary provided that no one fiduciary shall be entitled to any greater commission than that which would be allowed if there were but one fiduciary involved.

Such commissions may be reduced by the court having jurisdiction over the estate only upon application by a beneficiary adversely affected upon an affirmative showing that the services rendered were materially deficient or that the actual pains, trouble and risk of the fiduciary in settling the estate were substantially less than generally required for estates of comparable size.

3B:18-16. Corpus commissions; unusual or extraordinary services? The court may, on an intermediate or the final settlement of the fiduciary's accounts, allow corpus commissions in addition to those hereinabove provided, on a showing that unusual or extraordinary services have been rendered by the fiduciary for which the fiduciary should receive extra compensation

3B:18-17. Taking annual amounts on account of corpus commissions? Fiduciaries may annually, without court allowance, take sums as follows on account of corpus commissions: if there is but one fiduciary, the amount so taken may equal one-fifth of 1% of the value of the corpus and, if there are two or more fiduciaries, the amount so taken may equal the commissions which may be taken pursuant to this section when there is but one fiduciary, plus one-fifth of the commissions for each fiduciary more than one.?

3B:18-18. Value of assets for computing commissions taken annually? In computing the amount of commissions which may be taken annually pursuant to N.J.S. 3B:18-17, the value of any item of corpus at the time when the item is received by the fiduciary, referred to in this section as the "presumptive value" of the item, may be used as the value of the item, or, at the option of the fiduciary, the value of the item at the end of the period for which the commissions are taken may be used.

3B:18-19. Failure to take commissions annually shall not constitute a waiver thereof? The failure of a fiduciary to take commissions in any year as provided in N.J.S. 3B:18-17 shall not constitute a waiver of the right of the fiduciary to take in a subsequent year the commissions not taken for that year

3B:18-20. Corpus commissions taken annually subject to review? Commissions taken as provided in N.J.S. 3B:18-17 shall be subject to review on intermediate and final accountings, and to the extent that aggregate commissions so taken exceed the commissions allowable under N.J.S. 3B:18-14 and N.J.S. 3B:18-15, they may be disallowed.?

These areas are extremely complex, and you should not attempt to reach a decision on whether or not to take action (and, if so what action to take) without the assistance of counsel.

You must call to schedule an in-office consultation as we cannot provide legal advice over the phone.

The following are some of the NJ Court Rule on Commissions

RULE 4:88. COMMISSIONS AND ATTORNEY'S FEE

4:88-1. Affidavit of Accountant's Services

If the allowance of such commissions is within the discretion of the court, the applicant therefor shall, upon every application for commissions on corpus, at least 20 days prior to the day on which the account is settled, file an affidavit stating in detail the nature of the services rendered in administering the estate and specifying the amount of the commissions requested.

4:88-2. Commission Payments Before Settlement

Whether or not annual commissions are taken pursuant to N.J.S.A. 3B:18-17, a fiduciary may apply to the court to which he or she is accountable for an ex parte order supported by appropriate affidavits for payment to the fiduciary on account of commissions on corpus for services to date. Such order shall not be binding on the beneficiaries, and the payment so ordered shall be subject to approval and allowance or to disallowance by the court upon the settlement of the fiduciary's account.

4:88-3. Notice as to Apportionment of Commissions

The court shall not apportion commissions among cofiduciaries unless proof is made that five days' notice of the application for apportionment has been given to those of them who do not appear.

For more information, go to http://njwillsprobatelaw.com/executor_commissions_in_a_probate_case.html?id=396&a=