Probate in Santa Cruz County

Probate Court Record

Santa Cruz County Superior Court

Santa Cruz County

Hours

Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM

Office

2160 North Congress Drive, Suite 2200, Nogales, AZ 85621

E-filing

Filing in person

Walk-ins accepted

Self-represented filing

Allowed

Self-help forms

How to file probate in Santa Cruz County →

Verified October 15, 2026 · Source

Do I need a lawyer for probate in Santa Cruz County? →Settling an estate in Santa Cruz County →

Estate Planning Firms Serving Santa Cruz County

Mesa estate firm on South Higley Road serving East Valley families and clients across Arizona, with 35+ years of practice. The attorneys work only in estate planning, trusts, probate, estate and trust administration, special needs planning, and elder law. Offers a free 30-minute session; not all consultations are free.

Serves the whole stateFree consultationEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder LawSpecial Needs Planning

Flagstaff solo practice serving Coconino County and clients across Arizona, founded by Tony S. Cullum in 1975. Handles probate administration and estate planning built around probate avoidance, including living trusts and wills, plus guardianship matters. Cullum is certified as a real estate law specialist by the Arizona Board of Legal Specialization.

Solo PracticeServes the whole stateEstate PlanningProbateGuardianshipReal Estate

Scottsdale firm founded in 1982, with additional offices in Tucson and Show Low, handling Maricopa County estates from its East Cactus Road office. The practice covers formal and informal probate, trust administration, and trust litigation alongside estate planning.

Since 1982Serves the whole stateEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateTrust LitigationBusiness Law

Lake Havasu City practice focused on probate and trust administration, having guided 750+ Arizona families through probate. Richard Rahnema was raised in Lake Havasu City and is licensed to serve clients in every Arizona county, with Mohave and La Paz Counties the firm's specialty. Free 20-minute discovery call.

Solo PracticeSince 2017Serves the whole stateFree consultationVirtual consultationsEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbate

Tempe firm serving the Phoenix metropolitan area and estates statewide, including out-of-state clients with Arizona probate and trust matters. Handles probate administration, trust administration, and contested estate and trust litigation, with both attorneys certified by the State Bar of Arizona as specialists in Estate & Trust Law. The first consultation is always free.

Serves the whole stateFree consultationEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation+3

All 7 Arizona estate planning firms serving Santa Cruz County →

Forms for Planning and Settling an Estate in Arizona

Free Arizona forms to plan or settle an estate: a will, trust, powers of attorney, TOD deed and the probate forms. Prepare each form for Arizona.

$12/month

Revocable Living Trust

Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.

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Last Will and Testament

In Arizona, a will is signed before 2A.R.S. § 14-2502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and a self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyA.R.S. § 14-2502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.

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Healthcare Power of Attorney

Arizona allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 1ARS § 36-3224Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witness or a notary.

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Financial Power of Attorney

Arizona requires explicit durability language for a power of attorney to survive incapacityA.R.S. § 14-5501 through § 14-5506; A.R.S. §§ 14-13109, 14-13110 (RUFADAA)Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, and it is signed before 1A.R.S. § 14-5501 through § 14-5506; A.R.S. §§ 14-13109, 14-13110 (RUFADAA)Verified Sep 18, 2026View source witness and a notary.

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Pour-Over Will

In Arizona, a pour-over will is signed before 2A.R.S. § 14-2502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses and moves anything left outside the trust into it through probate.

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Transfer on Death Deed

In Arizona, a beneficiary deed is signed before a notaryA.R.S. 33-405Verified Oct 18, 2026View source, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathA.R.S. 33-405Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. Arizona does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.

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All Arizona forms

Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Arizona

Free calculators and checklists to plan or settle an estate in Arizona: will and trust costs, probate, executor pay and taxes. Run each tool for Arizona.

Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?

In Arizona, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 2.2%Modeled estimate under A.R.S. §§ 14-3719, 14-3721 (reasonable compensation; court review of reasonableness): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.5%Modeled estimate under A.R.S. §§ 14-3719, 14-3721 (reasonable compensation; court review of reasonableness): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.

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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?

Probate in Arizona takes 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 2.2%Modeled estimate under A.R.S. §§ 14-3719, 14-3721 (reasonable compensation; court review of reasonableness): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.5%Modeled estimate under A.R.S. §§ 14-3719, 14-3721 (reasonable compensation; court review of reasonableness): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.

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What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Arizona runs $3,760Estimate: 10 hours at $376, Clio's Arizona Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $5,640Estimate: 15 hours at $376, Clio's Arizona Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source and a simple will $1,173Estimate: 3 hours at $391, Clio's Arizona Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $2,346Estimate: 6 hours at $391, Clio's Arizona Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

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How Much Does Probate Cost?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Arizona costs an estimated $27,670A.R.S. §§ 14-3719, 14-3721 (reasonable compensation; court review of reasonableness)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source. Attorney fees run 2.2%Modeled estimate under A.R.S. §§ 14-3719, 14-3721 (reasonable compensation; court review of reasonableness): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.5%Modeled estimate under A.R.S. §§ 14-3719, 14-3721 (reasonable compensation; court review of reasonableness): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.

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Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

Arizona automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorceA.R.S. § 14-2804Verified Sep 15, 2026View source; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.

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What Are the Estate Laws in My State?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Arizona costs an estimated $27,670A.R.S. §§ 14-3719, 14-3721 (reasonable compensation; court review of reasonableness)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source and takes 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 2.2%Modeled estimate under A.R.S. §§ 14-3719, 14-3721 (reasonable compensation; court review of reasonableness): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.5%Modeled estimate under A.R.S. §§ 14-3719, 14-3721 (reasonable compensation; court review of reasonableness): the hours the statutory fee schedules imply, at the state's surveyed hourly rateVerified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate. Estates under $200,000A.R.S. § 14-3971Verified Sep 8, 2026View source can use a small-estate procedure instead.

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All Arizona tools