Estate Planning for Yuma County, Arizona Property Owners

For most Yuma County homeowners, the house is what drags an estate into probate. A transfer-on-death deed or a living trust keeps it out—here is how to set up either one and record it locally.

Record a TOD deedWhere to recordLocal attorneys

For a Yuma County property owner, the biggest probate risk is the home itself. Real estate is what forces most families into the Superior Court. The two tools that keep a Yuma County home out of probate are a transfer-on-death deed recorded with the County Recorder, and a revocable living trust that holds title to the property.

Without a recorded beneficiary designation or a trust, Yuma County property passes through the Superior Court — even simple Arizona probates run 4+ months and start with $281 in filing fees. Arizona also lets owners name a transfer-on-death beneficiary on vehicle titles, which keeps cars out of the same process.

Record a Transfer-on-Death Deed in Yuma County

A beneficiary deed names a beneficiary who receives Yuma County property automatically at the owner's death, without probate. It is recorded with the County Recorder during the owner's lifetime and can be revoked at any time.

Before recording, an Arizona beneficiary deed is signed with notary acknowledgmentA.R.S. 33-405Verified Oct 18, 2026View source. The deed takes effect only if it is recorded before the owner's deathA.R.S. 33-405Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.

Create a Arizona TOD deed →Yuma County signing requirements →

Where to Record Property Documents

Deeds and other real property documents for Yuma County are recorded with the County Recorder at 298 South Main Street, Yuma, AZ 85364. Phone: 1-928-373-6020. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-5:00 PM.

The County Recorder charges $30 flat, regardless of page count. Recording a 2-page beneficiary deed in Yuma County comes to $30. No transfer tax applies to a beneficiary deed.

Yuma County accepts electronic recording through Data Services, ePN, Indecomm, CSC and Simplifile.

Recording Office Record

County Recorder

Yuma County

Hours

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

Office

298 South Main Street, Yuma, AZ 85364

Open in Google Maps

Fax

1-928-373-6024

Verified October 16, 2026 · Source

Estate Planning Attorneys Serving Yuma County

FirmYuma, AZ

Benesch, Shadle & White, PLC

Since 1920 · Serves 2 counties

Yuma general practice serving Yuma and La Paz counties plus neighboring Imperial County, California, in practice since 1920. Handles probate and probate litigation alongside estate planning, wills and trusts, real estate, business, and agricultural law. Firm members are licensed in Arizona, California, Texas, and New Mexico.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateProbate LitigationBusiness LawReal Estate

Office
833 E Plaza Cir, Suite 100Yuma, AZ 85365

FirmYuma, AZ

Deason Garner & Sparks

Since 1991 · Serves 1 county

Yuma firm serving Yuma County families, practicing exclusively in estate planning since 1991. Handles probate, trust administration, wills, and Medicaid planning, and gives successor trustees a complimentary consultation on administering the trust; other consultations are free for estate planning seminar attendees.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateSpecial Needs Planning

Office
6024 E 32nd StYuma, AZ 85365
Free consultation

FirmYuma, AZ

Garcia, Kinsey, Luger & Villarreal, P.L.C.

Serves 1 county

Yuma firm on West 24th Street handling estate planning and estate administration for Yuma County families. The same attorneys practice real estate development, agribusiness, banking and lending, and business transactions.

PracticesEstate PlanningProbateBusiness LawReal Estate

Office
2620 W 24th StYuma, AZ 85364

FirmYuma, AZ

Hunt & Gale

Serves 1 county

Yuma firm serving clients before the Yuma County Superior Court for more than 30 years, handling probate of Arizona estates, trust administration, and estate planning. Pairs estate work with tax planning for closely held businesses and real-property transfers, and serves clients across several western states. Video-conference appointments available.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 2 more

Office
256 South 2nd Ave, Suite EYuma, AZ 85364
Virtual consultations

FirmYuma, AZ

Schneider, Onofry & Lomeli, P.C.

Serves 2 counties

Litigation-focused firm with offices in Yuma and Phoenix, handling contested trust and estate matters for southwestern Arizona families. Its probate practice centers on litigation — will contests and disputes over asset distribution, trust management, and personal-representative performance — alongside trust and estate planning and will preparation.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateProbate LitigationTrust Litigation

Office
219 W 2nd StreetYuma, AZ 85364

FirmYuma, AZ

Walsma & Rodriguez, P.C.

Serves 1 county

Yuma firm appearing in Yuma County Superior Court probate matters, with attorneys Pamela Walsma, Araceli Rodriguez, and Ryan Hengl. Handles probate and trust administration, guardianship and conservatorship (protective) proceedings, and will and trust drafting, alongside real estate and business work.

PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateConservatorshipand 3 more

Office
682 S Fourth AveYuma, AZ 85364
See all 12 firms serving Yuma County →

Firm listings are for informational purposes only. SimplyTrust does not endorse or recommend any specific firm or attorney. Contact firms directly to verify their current practice areas and availability.

SimplyTrustSimplyTrust Editorial·

Legal Sources

Data sourced from Arizona statutes and official state code. How we research.

Forms for Planning Your Estate in Arizona

Free forms for planning your estate in Arizona: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Arizona.

Free

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.

Get Started
Free

Codicil to a Will

In Arizona, a codicil is signed before 2A.R.S. § 14-2502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, like a will, and the self-proving affidavit signed with it lets the court admit it without witness testimonyA.R.S. § 14-2504Verified Oct 25, 2026View source.

Get Started
Free

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.

Get Started
Free

HIPAA Release

In Arizona, a HIPAA release names who may receive your records and, as the state requires, names HIV/AIDS-related informationAriz. Rev. Stat. § 36-664(F), (J)Verified Jun 10, 2026View source expressly before a provider releases it.

Get Started
Free

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.

Get Started
Free

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.

Get Started
Free

Vehicle Transfer on Death

Arizona allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle titleA.R.S. 28-2055(B)Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, filed through the Arizona Department of Transportation, Motor Vehicle Division (MVD) using Form 96-0561.

Get Started
Free

Living Will

In Arizona, the living will is the Living WillAriz. Rev. Stat. title 36, ch. 32, art. 5 (§§ 36-3261, 36-3262); general provisions art. 1 (§§ 36-3201 to 36-3211)Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a document of its own, apart from the healthcare power of attorney.

Get Started

All Arizona forms

Tools for Planning Your Estate in Arizona

Free tools for planning your estate in Arizona: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Arizona and read its answer.

How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

In Arizona, a will is signed before 2A.R.S. § 14-2502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredA.R.S. § 14-2502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.

Check the Rules

Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Arizona recognizes a will signed under the law of the place where it was signedA.R.S. § 14-2506Verified Oct 18, 2026View source; a will signed in Arizona itself needs 2A.R.S. § 14-2502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredA.R.S. § 14-2502Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.

Get the Answer

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.

Calculate Costs

How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living 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 for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

Calculate Costs

How Much Does a Will Cost?

An attorney-prepared will in Arizona runs $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 $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $27,670A.R.S. §§ 14-3719, 14-3721 (reasonable compensation; court review of reasonableness)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.

Calculate Costs

How Does SimplyTrust Compare to LegalZoom, Trust & Will, and Other Services?

Compare what it costs to make a trust official across SimplyTrust, LegalZoom, Trust & Will, Rocket Lawyer, and Quicken WillMaker.

Compare Options

How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Children?

In Arizona, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a willA.R.S. §§ 14-5202, 14-5203, 14-5204(B), 14-5410(A)(6)Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18A.R.S. § 1-215(19)Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.

See the Steps

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.

Get the Answer

All Arizona tools

Arizona Estate Planning Articles

Estate planning articles for Arizona.