My mother recently passed away and named an executor outside the family, a man who she did her banking with.
The executor is charging us the maximum fee, $17,500. He has done nothing more than make a few phone calls and sign a few papers. All the leg work had been done and the little that was needed was done by us. We have asked him for an accounting of his time, which he refuses to give us.
The estate is ready for probate. What are our options?
This is a pretty hefty fee for 2-3 hours of work.

Thank you!

I can understand this is a frustrating situation for you. The probate rules and procedures are different in every state. However, an accounting of all the fees is usually included. You could try to ask the probate court for more information about what the next steps are in the process and how you can compel an accounting of fees if one isn't already being prepared. Sometime probate can be an expensive process. You can certainly try to speak to an attorney about your concerns. You can find more information about an attorney through the attorney locator service on LawInfo's home page at: http://www.lawinfo.com/. Some do offer free consultations.