Tools for Planning and Settling an Estate in Arizona

After a death in Arizona, the estate either qualifies for the simplified procedure for estates under $200,000 or goes through probate, where creditors have 4 months to file claims after notice.

All Planning ahead Settling an estate

36 tools for Arizona

How Much Does Probate Cost?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Arizona costs an estimated $27,670. Attorney fees run 2.2% to 3.5% of the estate under a reasonable-compensation standard.

Use Calculator

How Much Can an Executor Charge?

Arizona pays executors reasonable compensation, typically 2.2% to 3.8% of the estate.

Use Calculator

Who Inherits Without a Will?

Without a will in Arizona, a surviving spouse takes the entire estate when every child of either spouse is a child of both, and descendants divide what passes to them per capita at each generation.

Use Calculator

What's Fair Trustee Compensation?

In Arizona, trustee compensation follows "reasonable compensation" (UTC § 708 or equivalent) unless the trust instrument sets a different amount.

Use Calculator

How Much Are Estate & Inheritance Taxes?

Arizona levies no estate or inheritance tax; only the federal estate tax applies above $15,000,000.

Use Calculator

How Many Death Certificates Do I Need?

In Arizona, certified death certificates come from the Arizona Department of Health Services - Bureau of Vital Records; the first copy costs $20.

Use Calculator

Do I Need Probate?

In Arizona, estates with personal property of $200,000 or less skip probate with the Collection of Personal Property by Affidavit, 30 days after death.

Check Now

What Does Estate Planning Actually Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable trust in Arizona runs $3,760 to $5,640 and a simple will $1,173 to $2,346, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

Compare Costs

How Much Does a Revocable Living Trust Cost?

An attorney-prepared revocable living trust in Arizona runs $3,760 to $5,640 for an individual, against $0 to $549 up front plus a subscription with an online service.

Compare Costs

How Much Does a Will Cost?

An attorney-prepared will in Arizona runs $1,173 to $2,346, against $0 to $299 up front with an online service, and probate on a $500,000 estate adds about $27,670.

Compare Costs

How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?

In Arizona, four years at a public university cost about $103,336 and the cost of living is near the U.S. average; no state estate or inheritance tax applies.

Use Calculator

What Taxes Apply to My Inheritance?

Arizona imposes no inheritance or estate tax; probate assets arrive when the estate closes, 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate.

Learn More

How Does Step-Up in Basis Work?

Inherited assets in Arizona take a basis reset to fair market value on the date of death, and the gain on a later sale faces state tax on the 75% of long-term gain left after a 25% exclusion, only for assets acquired after December 31, 2011.

Use Calculator

Are My Beneficiary Designations Protected?

Arizona automatically revokes an ex-spouse as beneficiary at divorce; employer plans under ERISA follow federal rules either way, so a 401(k) beneficiary changes only by a new designation.

Check Now

What Are the Estate Laws in My State?

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Arizona costs an estimated $27,670 and takes 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate, with attorney fees of typically 2.2% to 3.5% of the estate. Estates under $200,000 can use a small-estate procedure instead.

Check Your State

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 Services

How Do I Name a Guardian for My Minor Children?

In Arizona, a parent names a guardian for a minor child in a will, and the nomination covers the child until the age of majority, 18.

Check Your State

What Are the Burial and Cremation Laws in My State?

Arizona allows you to name your own agent in a signed, written document, and that designation takes priority over the statutory order of next of kin who otherwise control disposition of the remains.

Check Your State

How Do I Sign Estate Documents?

Find witness, notary, and remote signing requirements for all 50 states.

Check Requirements

Will My Estate Documents Transfer?

Check if estate planning documents signed in one state are valid in another.

Check Portability

1 2

Arizona allows estates with personal property of $200,000 or less to use the Collection of Personal Property by Affidavit, which avoids full probate administration. The Collection of Personal Property by Affidavit is presented directly to the bank, employer, or other holder of the property — it is not filed with a court. The waiting period is 30 days after death.

Probate costs in Arizona typically include attorney fees of typically 2.2% to 3.5% of the estate, executor fees, court filing fees, and publication costs. On a $500,000 estate, total costs run about $27,670, roughly 6% of estate value, varying with complexity. Estimate executor compensation separately with the Arizona executor fee calculator.

Arizona intestacy law decides. As a community property state, Arizona distinguishes community property (acquired during the marriage) from separate property (owned before it, or received as a gift or inheritance), and the surviving spouse's share differs for each. The estate passes to the closest surviving relatives, in most cases the spouse and children first, then in order: Parents; Siblings and their descendants; Grandparents and their descendants; The State of Arizona.

No. Arizona imposes no state estate tax and no inheritance tax. Only the federal estate tax applies, on an estate above $15,000,000, an exemption the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (P.L. 119-21 §70106) set permanently from 2026 and indexes for inflation.

A will in Arizona costs what the provider charges. An online service runs $0 to $299 up front. An attorney in Arizona charges around $391 an hour for wills and estates work, which puts a simple will at $1,173 to $2,346. The document is only part of the cost: probate adds about $27,670 on a $500,000 estate in fees the heirs pay later.