Do I Need a Trust in Arizona?
Probate in Arizona takes 4 months to 6 months for a simple estate and charges attorney fees of typically 2.2%A.R.S. §§ 14-3719, 14-3721 (reasonable compensation; court review of reasonableness)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.5%A.R.S. §§ 14-3719, 14-3721 (reasonable compensation; court review of reasonableness)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; assets held in a revocable trust skip both.
It depends on your estate size. In Arizona, estates with personal property of $200,000A.R.S. § 14-3971Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less skip probate with the Collection of Personal Property by AffidavitA.R.S. § 14-3971Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, 30 daysA.R.S. § 14-3971Verified Sep 8, 2026View source after death. Above that line, probate takes 4 months to 6 months and costs about $27,670A.R.S. §§ 14-3719, 14-3721 (reasonable compensation; court review of reasonableness)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source on a $500,000 estate. A funded revocable trust avoids probate entirely.
Probate in Arizona charges attorney fees of typically 2.2%A.R.S. §§ 14-3719, 14-3721 (reasonable compensation; court review of reasonableness)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.5%A.R.S. §§ 14-3719, 14-3721 (reasonable compensation; court review of reasonableness)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate, plus executor fees and court costs: about $27,670A.R.S. §§ 14-3719, 14-3721 (reasonable compensation; court review of reasonableness)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source on a $500,000 estate all in. A trust avoids probate costs entirely. See a detailed breakdown with the Arizona probate calculator.
Arizona allows estates with personal property of $200,000A.R.S. § 14-3971Verified Sep 8, 2026View source or less to use the Collection of Personal Property by AffidavitA.R.S. § 14-3971Verified Sep 8, 2026View source, 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 daysA.R.S. § 14-3971Verified Sep 8, 2026View source after death. This route is faster and less expensive than full probate, but a trust avoids it entirely.
Simple estates in Arizona typically take 4 months to 6 months through probate; average estates 6 months to 9 months, and estates with disputes or multiple properties longer. A funded revocable trust avoids probate entirely; distributions follow the trustee's administration rather than a court timeline.
A properly funded revocable trust in Arizona avoids probate court proceedings, public disclosure of assets and beneficiaries, court-supervised distribution, and the 4 months to 6 months probate timeline. Assets in the trust transfer directly to beneficiaries. Compare the trade-offs with the Arizona trust vs. will comparison.
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Learn moreForms for Planning Your Estate in Arizona
Free forms for planning your estate in Arizona: a will, living trust, pour-over will, both powers of attorney, living will, and TOD deed.
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.
Revocable Living Trust
Create a revocable living trust to avoid probate, protect privacy, and control asset distribution.
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.
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.
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 Sep 18, 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.
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.
Vehicle Transfer on Death
Name a beneficiary to inherit your vehicle at death without probate. Available in 26 states and the District of Columbia.
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.
Tools for Planning Your Estate in Arizona
Free tools for planning your estate in Arizona: what a will or trust costs, whether you need a trust or TOD deed, and how documents are signed.
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.
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.
Trust or Will: Which Costs Less?
In Arizona, a will-based plan pays probate attorney fees of typically 2.2%A.R.S. §§ 14-3719, 14-3721 (reasonable compensation; court review of reasonableness)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source to 3.5%A.R.S. §§ 14-3719, 14-3721 (reasonable compensation; court review of reasonableness)Verified Sep 8, 2026View source of the estate; a funded revocable trust keeps those assets out of probate and off that fee.
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.
How Much Life Insurance Do I Need?
In Arizona, four years at a public university cost about $103,336NCES Digest of Education Statistics 2023, Table 330.20, public 4-year in-state tuition, fees, room and board, academic year 2022-23Verified Oct 17, 2026View source and the cost of living is near the U.S. averageBEA Regional Price Parities, all items, by state, 2024Verified Oct 17, 2026View source; no state estate or inheritance tax appliesNo state estate or inheritance tax. Arizona's estate and generation-skipping tax (A.R.S. Title 42, Chapter 4) was repealed outright by Laws 2006, Ch. 262, § 3 (S.B. 1170), retroactive to taxable years beginning after Dec. 31, 2005 — Title 42 has no Chapter 4 today. Arizona imposes no inheritance or gift tax (ADOR Publication 900).Verified Sep 15, 2026View source.
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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Arizona Estate Planning Resources
In-depth guides covering Arizona probate laws, trust requirements, and estate planning strategies.