Estate Planning for Clay County, Arkansas Property Owners
For most Clay 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.
For a Clay County property owner, the biggest probate risk is the home itself. Real estate is what forces most families into the Circuit Court - Probate Division. The two tools that keep a Clay County home out of probate are a transfer-on-death deed recorded with the Circuit Clerk, and a revocable living trust that holds title to the property.
Skipping this planning step means the Circuit Court - Probate Division decides who receives the property: a simple Arkansas probate takes 6+ months and opens with $165 in court filing fees. Arkansas 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 Clay County
A beneficiary deed names a beneficiary who receives Clay County property automatically at the owner's death, without probate. It is recorded with the Circuit Clerk during the owner's lifetime and can be revoked at any time.
Before recording, an Arkansas beneficiary deed is signed with notary acknowledgmentArk. Code Ann. 18-12-608Verified Oct 18, 2026. The deed takes effect only if it is recorded before the owner's deathArk. Code Ann. 18-12-608Verified Oct 18, 2026.
Deeds and other real property documents for Clay County are recorded with the Circuit Clerk at 151 South 2nd Street, Piggott, AR 72454. Phone: 1-870-598-2524. Hours: Monday-Friday 8:00 AM-4:30 PM.
The Circuit Clerk charges $15 for the first page plus $5 for each additional page. A 2-page beneficiary deed costs $20 to record in Clay County. A beneficiary deed is exempt from transfer tax.
Jonesboro firm practicing exclusively in estate planning, elder law, and probate for families across Craighead and surrounding Northeast Arkansas counties. Attorney Chad R. Oldham handles trust and estate administration, wills and trusts, special-needs planning, and estate and trust taxation — a single-area practice rather than a general one.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 4 more
Jonesboro firm serving Craighead County and Northeast Arkansas, with a second office in Walnut Ridge for Lawrence and Randolph county families. Aaron Heller leads the estate side, handling wills, trusts, guardianships, powers of attorney, and probate. Heller served two terms as chairman of the Elder Law Section of the Arkansas Bar Association. Free initial case evaluation.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateElder Lawand 2 more
Jonesboro firm serving Craighead County and northeast Arkansas. For families administering an estate, the firm guides executors and administrators through Craighead County probate from appointment through the claims process to final distribution, and prepares wills, trusts, and powers of attorney. Offers a free consultation.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateBanking Lawand 3 more
Office
111 East Huntington Ave., 2nd FloorJonesboro, AR 72401
Paragould firm serving Greene County and surrounding Northeast Arkansas for over 25 years. Attorney Lorie L. Whitby handles probate and estate planning (wills, deeds, powers of attorney) within a general practice that also covers family law, adoptions, and guardianships. Offers a complimentary consultation.
PracticesEstate PlanningProbateGuardianshipBusiness Lawand 2 more
Solo Walnut Ridge firm run by James Ethan Weeks, serving Lawrence, Randolph, and Clay counties. He guides families through probate and helps with wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and Medicaid/elder-law planning, offering a local option in Lawrence County. Also handles bankruptcy and personal injury.
Little Rock firm on Cantrell Road handling probate and estate administration in Pulaski County and courts statewide. Walks executors through will validation, appointment of personal representatives, asset inventory and valuation, creditor claims, and final distribution under Arkansas law.
PracticesEstate PlanningTrust AdministrationProbateBusiness Lawand 3 more
Office
8114 Cantrell Road, Suite 100Little Rock, AR 72227
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.
Data sourced from Arkansas statutes and official state code. How we research.
Forms for Planning Your Estate in Arkansas
Free forms for planning your estate in Arkansas: will, living trust, pour-over will, powers of attorney and TOD deed. Prepare each form for Arkansas.
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Last Will and Testament
In Arkansas, a will is signed before 2Ark. Code Ann. § 28-25-103Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and the witnesses sign an affidavit at probate instead of a self-proving affidavitArk. Code Ann. § 28-25-103Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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Codicil to a Will
In Arkansas, a codicil is signed before 2Ark. Code Ann. § 28-25-103Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, like a will.
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Healthcare Power of Attorney
Arkansas allows a choice for a healthcare power of attorney: 2Act 1264 of 2013 § 2; Ark. Code Ann. § 20-6-103Verified Oct 15, 2026View source witnesses or a notary.
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HIPAA Release
In Arkansas, a HIPAA release is the federal authorization alone: the state adds no category rule, and the document carries the elements federal law requires, among them an expiration date or an expiration event that relates to the individual45 CFR 164.508(c)(1)(v)Verified Oct 21, 2026View source.
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Financial Power of Attorney
Arkansas treats a power of attorney as durable by defaultArk. Code §§ 28-68-102, 28-68-104, 28-68-105, 28-68-106, 28-68-107, 28-68-109, 28-68-112, 28-68-113, 28-68-119, 28-68-120, 28-68-201, 28-68-204 through 28-68-217, 28-68-301; Ark. Code § 18-12-501; Acts 2011 No. 805 (SB887, primary enactment); Acts 2021 No. 804 (HB1518, added "create" to § 28-68-201(a)(1) and § 28-68-301 form); Acts 2021 No. 356 (HB1455, amended §§ 18-12-501, 18-12-502); no amendments to Ch. 68 or § 18-12-501 after 2021 (re-checked 2026-09-18 via arkleg Code Sections Amended, /Acts/CodeSection?section=28|18 for every session 2013R through 2026F/2026S1 — zero Ch. 68 / § 18-12-501 rows; 2021R control returns §§ 28-68-201, 28-68-301, 18-12-501, 18-12-502; 2026F/2026S1 positive-controlled on titles 6, 19, 25, 26); verified 2026-09-18 against Act 805, Act 804, and Act 356 PDFs from arkleg.state.ar.us (amendment pages rendered to check strike/underline)Verified Sep 18, 2026View source, and it is signed with no witness or notary requirementArk. Code §§ 28-68-102, 28-68-104, 28-68-105, 28-68-106, 28-68-107, 28-68-109, 28-68-112, 28-68-113, 28-68-119, 28-68-120, 28-68-201, 28-68-204 through 28-68-217, 28-68-301; Ark. Code § 18-12-501; Acts 2011 No. 805 (SB887, primary enactment); Acts 2021 No. 804 (HB1518, added "create" to § 28-68-201(a)(1) and § 28-68-301 form); Acts 2021 No. 356 (HB1455, amended §§ 18-12-501, 18-12-502); no amendments to Ch. 68 or § 18-12-501 after 2021 (re-checked 2026-09-18 via arkleg Code Sections Amended, /Acts/CodeSection?section=28|18 for every session 2013R through 2026F/2026S1 — zero Ch. 68 / § 18-12-501 rows; 2021R control returns §§ 28-68-201, 28-68-301, 18-12-501, 18-12-502; 2026F/2026S1 positive-controlled on titles 6, 19, 25, 26); verified 2026-09-18 against Act 805, Act 804, and Act 356 PDFs from arkleg.state.ar.us (amendment pages rendered to check strike/underline)Verified Sep 18, 2026View source.
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Transfer on Death Deed
In Arkansas, a beneficiary deed is signed before a notaryArk. Code Ann. 18-12-608Verified Oct 18, 2026, then recorded with the county before the owner's deathArk. Code Ann. 18-12-608Verified Oct 18, 2026. Arkansas does not recognize a Lady Bird deed.
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Vehicle Transfer on Death
Arkansas allows a transfer-on-death beneficiary designation on a vehicle titleArk. Code Ann. 27-14-727Verified Oct 21, 2026View source, filed through the Arkansas Department of Finance and Administration, Office of Motor Vehicle using Form 108.
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Living Will
In Arkansas, the living will is the DeclarationArk. Code Ann. §§ 20-17-201 to 20-17-218 (Arkansas Rights of the Terminally Ill or Permanently Unconscious Act)Verified Sep 27, 2026View source, a document of its own, apart from the healthcare power of attorney.
Free tools for planning your estate in Arkansas: will and trust costs, trust or TOD deed, and the signing rules. Run each tool for Arkansas and read its answer.
How Do I Sign Estate Documents?
In Arkansas, a will is signed before 2Ark. Code Ann. § 28-25-103Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredArk. Code Ann. § 28-25-103Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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Will My Estate Documents Transfer?
Arkansas recognizes a will signed under the law of the place where it was signedArk. Code Ann. §§ 28-25-105, 28-40-120Verified Oct 18, 2026View source; a will signed in Arkansas itself needs 2Ark. Code Ann. § 28-25-103Verified Oct 18, 2026View source witnesses, and notarization is not requiredArk. Code Ann. § 28-25-103Verified Oct 18, 2026View source.
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Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In Arkansas, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees set by statute as a percentage of the gross estateArk. Code § 28-48-108(d)(2) (6-tier statutory schedule on total market value of real + personal property; court may adjust if excessive or insufficient)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
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How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?
An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Arkansas runs $2,890Estimate: 10 hours at $289, Clio's Arkansas Trusts rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $4,335Estimate: 15 hours at $289, Clio's Arkansas 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.
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How Much Does a Will Cost?
An attorney-prepared will in Arkansas runs $942Estimate: 3 hours at $314, Clio's Arkansas Wills and Estates rate; Compare Lawyer Rates, 2025 dataVerified Oct 15, 2026View source to $1,884Estimate: 6 hours at $314, Clio's Arkansas 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 $27,915Ark. Code § 28-48-108(d)(2) (6-tier statutory schedule on total market value of real + personal property; court may adjust if excessive or insufficient)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source.
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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.
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How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Children?
In Arkansas, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will or a separate signed writingArk. Code §§ 28-65-204(b)(1), 28-65-222 (as amended by Act 713 of 2025, § 25)Verified Sep 15, 2026View source, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18Ark. Code § 9-25-101Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
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Do I Need a Revocable Trust?
Probate in Arkansas takes 6 months to 9 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees set by statute as a percentage of the gross estateArk. Code § 28-48-108(d)(2) (6-tier statutory schedule on total market value of real + personal property; court may adjust if excessive or insufficient)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.
