What Does Estate Planning Cost in Arizona?

Major life events like marriage, divorce, or having a child often require updating your estate plan. Some providers require purchasing an entirely new plan, while others offer amendments. Attorney amendments in Arizona typically cost $1,504 to $3,008 for major changes.

Online services have lower upfront costs ($30-$600) compared to attorneys in Arizona (around $376/hour for trusts). However, total lifetime cost depends on subscription fees, amendment charges, and how often life events require updates. This calculator compares the full cost across providers.

Many online estate planning services charge annual subscription fees ranging from $0 to $240/year. These subscriptions may include document access, minor amendments, or attorney consultations depending on the provider and tier.

Trusts cost more upfront than wills but can save money long-term by avoiding probate. In Arizona, an attorney-prepared trust typically costs $3,760 to $5,640, while a will costs $1,173 to $2,346. Wills require probate, which adds about $30,695 in costs for heirs on a $500,000 estate. See a detailed breakdown with the Arizona trust cost calculator.

Probate on a $500,000 estate in Arizona costs about $30,695 — roughly 6% of estate value — including attorney fees, executor fees, court costs, and publication costs.A.R.S. §§ 14-3719 (PR compensation — "reasonable compensation"; no statutory percentage), 14-3721 (court review of compensation of agents/attorneys employed by PR), 14-3971 (small estate affidavit; HB 2116 / Ch. 24, Laws 2025, 57th Leg. 1st Reg. Sess., eff. Sept. 26, 2025: personal property $200K per subsec. B, real property $300K per subsec. E; 30-day wait personal property, 6-month wait real property), 14-3603 (bond required by default; 4 exceptions: will waiver, all-heir/devisee written waiver, institutional-PR, surviving-spouse small estate; court may impose bond even after waiver per subsec. B), 14-3801 (notice to creditors: publish once/week 3 successive weeks; 4-month claim bar from first publication; mailed-notice creditors: later of 4 months or 60 days from mailing), 14-3803 (nonclaim deadlines), 14-3301 (informal probate — who may apply), 14-3715 (independent administration — PR powers without court order); azleg.gov announcements (57th Leg. 1st Reg. Sess. adjourned June 27, 2025; General Effective Date Sept. 26, 2025)Verified Jul 15, 2026 Estates with a trust can bypass probate entirely, potentially saving heirs thousands of dollars. Estimate probate fees with the Arizona probate calculator.