Educational guide — not legal advice. Costs vary by attorney and Arizona county. A written engagement letter states the exact fee before work begins.
The short answer
“Estate plan” ranges from a single will to a full trust package, so the price depends on what you need:
| What you’re getting | Typical Arizona cost |
|---|---|
| Basic will only | Not set by law; no independent published source found as of September 2026 |
| Will + financial POA + health directives (basic plan) | Not set by law; no independent published source found as of September 2026 |
| Revocable living trust package (trust + pour-over will + POAs + directives) | Not set by law; no independent published source found as of September 2026 |
| Complex plan (blended family, special needs, business, out-of-state property) | Not set by law; no independent published source found as of September 2026 |
| Online will (simple situation) | Not set by law; no independent published source found as of September 2026 |
Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tucson run at the higher end; smaller Arizona markets run lower.
What each package includes
A basic will
An Arizona-compliant will customized to your wishes, guidance on naming a personal representative and guardians for minor children, and a signing with two witnesses (plus a notary for the self-proving affidavit). It does not include powers of attorney, health directives, or a trust — those are separate.
A full basic estate plan
The will plus the documents most adults need. Arizona uses a specific set of health-care directives, so a full plan usually includes:
- Durable financial power of attorney — names someone to manage your money if you can’t.
- Health care power of attorney — names someone to make medical decisions.
- Living will — your end-of-life wishes.
- Mental health care power of attorney — Arizona has a separate document for mental-health treatment decisions.
- Often a HIPAA authorization so your agent can access records.
For most Arizona families, this is the sweet spot — a complete plan for a modest flat fee.
A revocable living trust package
Everything above plus a revocable living trust and a pour-over will. The trust operates on the assets retitled into it, and covers for privacy, incapacity planning, out-of-state property, or controlling how heirs receive assets — not just to avoid probate, since Arizona probate is already cheap and a beneficiary deed can pass your home for free. Quotes differ on whether trust funding is included.
A complex plan
Blended families, special-needs beneficiaries, business succession, or out-of-state property. The price reflects real attorney time.
What the higher-priced package adds
Arizona is one of the cheaper states to settle an estate, which changes the value of a trust:
- We found no independent published source for this figure as of September 2026; the ranges that are published come from law firms, online document sellers, or sites paid to refer customers to them.
- No state death taxes. Arizona has no estate or inheritance tax.
- Probate-avoidance mechanisms. A beneficiary deed (A.R.S. §33-405) passes a home outside probate; POD/TOD and beneficiary designations pass accounts; and the small-estate affidavits are in A.R.S. §14-3971 — §14-3971(B) reaches personal property of $200,000 or less, less liens and encumbrances, thirty days after death, and §14-3971(E) reaches the decedent’s interest in real property of $300,000 or less, valued from the full cash value on the assessment rolls, not sooner than six months after death.
Living Trust in Arizona](/transfer-on-death-deed-vs-living-trust-arizona/). We found no independent published source for this figure as of September 2026; the ranges that are published come from law firms, online document sellers, or sites paid to refer customers to them.
Online and DIY options
They’re a good fit when your situation is straightforward and you can confidently answer a guided questionnaire. We found no independent published source for this figure as of September 2026; the ranges that are published come from law firms, online document sellers, or sites paid to refer customers to them.
Arizona also recognizes holographic (handwritten) wills under A.R.S. §14-2503 if the material provisions and signature are in your handwriting. Any typed or pre-printed material in those portions takes the document outside the holographic provision. See Does a Will Have to Be Notarized in Arizona?.
A reasonable rule: if you can answer every question on the questionnaire without hesitation, online is fine. The moment you’re unsure — a blended family, a special-needs child, a business — that’s when an Arizona attorney earns the fee.
Ways to spend less
- What the plan has to cover. For most Arizonans, the will-based plan plus a beneficiary deed reaches the same assets a trust would.
- Do the prep work — know your personal representative, guardians, and beneficiaries before meeting the attorney.
- Quoted fees vary between firms. Flat-fee quotes for the same package differ across Arizona; each firm sets its own.
- Current beneficiary designations — retirement accounts and life insurance pass outside probate for free.
- Check for will clinics — some Arizona legal aid organizations and bar associations run free or low-cost clinics for seniors and qualifying residents.
What the record shows
Arizona imposes no state estate or inheritance tax. Probate is informal by default and carries no statutory attorney or executor fee percentage. Real property passes outside probate by statutory beneficiary deed (A.R.S. §33-405). A funded revocable trust operates on the assets retitled into it and additionally provides non-public administration, successor-trustee authority on incapacity, and administration of out-of-state real property without an ancillary proceeding. We found no independent published source for this figure as of September 2026; the ranges that are published come from law firms, online document sellers, or sites paid to refer customers to them.
Common questions
Do you need a lawyer to make a will in Arizona?
No. You can make a valid Arizona will yourself or online — typed and witnessed by two people, or (with strict rules) entirely handwritten. A.R.S. §14-2502(A) requires a paper will to be in writing, signed by the testator, and signed by at least two witnesses; who drafted the document is not among the requirements. What an attorney-drafted package adds is drafting, supervision of execution, and the accompanying powers of attorney and directive.
Does Arizona have an estate or inheritance tax?
No — Arizona has neither. Only the federal estate tax (very large estates) applies.
How much does a living trust cost in Arizona?
A trust operates only on the assets retitled into it. An Arizona beneficiary deed operates on one parcel of real estate; this page cites A.R.S. §33-405 for it above. We found no independent published source for this figure as of September 2026; the ranges that are published come from law firms, online document sellers, or sites paid to refer customers to them.
Is probate expensive in Arizona?
No. We found no independent published source for this figure as of September 2026; the ranges that are published come from law firms, online document sellers, or sites paid to refer customers to them.
What’s the difference between the plan cost and probate cost?
Spending a little on a plan — especially a beneficiary deed — is often what keeps the later probate cost low or eliminates it. We found no independent published source for this figure as of September 2026; the ranges that are published come from law firms, online document sellers, or sites paid to refer customers to them.
Do I need a mental health care power of attorney in Arizona?
A.R.S. §36-3281 provides a separate mental health care power of attorney: the agent may make decisions about mental health treatment if the principal is found incapable, and §36-3283(F) limits what an agent holding only a health care power of attorney under §36-3221 may decide. Many Arizona estate-planning packages include it at no meaningful extra cost.
Related reading
- Do You Need a Living Trust in Arizona if You Have a Will?
- Transfer on Death Deed vs. Living Trust in Arizona
- Does a Will Have to Be Notarized in Arizona?
- Estate Planning in Arizona: The Complete Guide
- How Much Does a Living Trust Cost?
Educational information only — not legal advice. Arizona estate-planning costs vary by attorney, county, and complexity; figures are 2026 estimates. A written engagement letter states the fee before work begins. Sources: A.R.S. Title 14, §§14-3719, 14-3971, 33-405; State Bar of Arizona; published flat-fee surveys.