Wisconsin probate & fiduciary bonds.
We size, underwrite & quote it.

Before the circuit court issues letters, most fiduciaries have to give a bond.
It guarantees you’ll perform your duties faithfully, according to law.
The court sets the amount to the size of the estate — and we underwrite it.
A surety specialist reviews your file and returns a quote, usually within one business day.

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Required of personal representatives, guardians, and conservators under Wis. Stat. § 856.25 and ch. 878 unless excused

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Amount is set by the circuit court in its discretion to the size of the estate

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Underwritten on personal credit and financials; collateral may apply to a large estate

Underwrittencourt sets the amountA-ratedA.M. Best carriers1 business daytypical specialist reply

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How it works

Built for the grant of letters.

In Wisconsin the circuit court won’t issue letters until the bond is filed and approved, so the bond is usually the last step before you can act. Here is the whole process:

TODAY · 10 MINUTES

Send us the file

Apply online with the petition or order setting the bond, the estate’s value, and the fiduciary’s details. The value of the estate the fiduciary will administer drives the penal sum.

WITHIN 1 BUSINESS DAY

A surety specialist underwrites it

A specialist reviews the file, a personal credit check, and any financials, then returns a quote. The amount is set by the court — underwriting decides approval and any collateral on a large estate.

ON APPROVAL

Execute & file

Once you bind, we issue the executed bond on the court’s required form, conditioned on faithful performance of duties, ready for the court to approve so letters can issue.

About this bond

What it is and who needs it.

What a fiduciary bond protects

When a Wisconsin circuit court appoints you to handle someone else’s money — as the personal representative of an estate, or a guardian or conservator of the estate of a minor or an incapacitated person — it usually requires a bond before issuing letters.

The fiduciary bond guarantees that you perform all your duties according to law: that you inventory the assets, account honestly, obey the court’s orders, and don’t misuse the estate. If you breach those duties, the bond makes the estate or beneficiaries whole — and the surety looks to you to repay it.

Because the surety stands behind the estate, the bond is underwritten on your personal credit and finances, and a large estate can require collateral. We tell you what your file needs before you commit.

Wisconsin StatuteWis. Stat. § 856.25 provides that a person may not act as personal representative, nor shall letters be issued to the person, until the person has given a bond in accordance with ch. 878, with one or more sureties, conditioned on the faithful performance of the person’s duties, unless the court has ordered appointment without bond. The requirement of a bond and its amount are solely within the discretion of the court, except that no bond is required of a trust company bank, state bank, or national banking association authorized to exercise trust powers. Probate bonds generally are governed by ch. 878, and guardians and conservators of the estate give bond under ch. 54 read with ch. 878; the court may require additional bond or reduce a bond at any time.

You need this bond if you’re

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A personal representative appointed to administer a Wisconsin estate

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A guardian of the estate of a minor or an incapacitated person appointed by the court

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A conservator managing the estate of a person who has petitioned for one

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Counsel or a family member arranging the bond so the court can issue letters and you can begin administering

The application takes about ten minutes.

These are the actual underwriting fields — the estate, the bond amount the court set, the fiduciary, and your finances. Submit once and a surety specialist returns a quote, typically within one business day. Free until your bond is issued.

Start the application →

FAQs

Common questions.

If yours isn't here, the bond team can usually answer within the hour.

What is a Wisconsin probate or fiduciary bond? +

It is the bond the circuit court requires before issuing letters to a fiduciary — a personal representative, guardian, or conservator. Under Wis. Stat. § 856.25 it is conditioned on faithful performance of the fiduciary’s duties, protecting the estate or ward from mismanagement or fraud, and given in accordance with ch. 878.

How much does it cost? +

It is underwritten, not flat-rated. The circuit court sets the penal sum to the size of the estate — under Wis. Stat. § 856.25 the requirement and amount are within the court’s discretion. A surety specialist then reviews the fiduciary’s personal credit and finances and returns a premium quote, usually within one business day.

Who decides the bond amount? +

The circuit court does. Under Wis. Stat. § 856.25 the requirement of a bond and its amount are solely within the court’s discretion, typically sized to the value of the estate the fiduciary will administer. We size and underwrite the bond to whatever amount the court sets.

Can the bond be waived? +

Sometimes. A will can direct that a personal representative serve without bond, and the court may order appointment without bond. No bond is required of a trust company or bank authorized to exercise trust powers. Where it isn’t excused, the fiduciary must give a bond before letters issue.

How fast can the bond be issued? +

A specialist typically returns a quote within one business day of a complete application. Once you bind and any collateral is in place, the executed bond issues on the court’s form, conditioned on faithful performance, ready for the court to approve so letters can issue.

Related bonds

Other New York bonds.

Get bonded so the court can issue letters.

Send us the estate details and the amount the court set, and a surety specialist sizes, underwrites, and quotes the bond — typically within one business day. Free until your bond is issued.

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