Helpful articles on wills and succession law.
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How to create a durable financial power of attorney (A.R.S. 14-5501) and a health care power of attorney (A.R.S. 36-3221) in Arizona, including the state's specific execution rules: the financial POA needs both notarization and a qualified witness. Learn how to create, use, and revoke each one.
09.07.2026Arizona advance directives explained: the Health Care Power of Attorney, the Living Will, the Mental Health Care Power of Attorney, and the Prehospital Medical Care Directive (orange DNR). What each one covers, how they are signed, and how to file them in the state Advance Directive Registry.
09.07.2026How the Arizona beneficiary deed under A.R.S. 33-405 works: it passes your real estate to a named beneficiary at death without probate, must be recorded before you die, and can be revoked at any time. Compare it to a living trust and see the pros and cons.
09.07.2026How Arizona small estate affidavits under A.R.S. 14-3971 let heirs collect property without probate: the separate thresholds ($200,000 personal property, $300,000 real property), the required waiting periods (30 days for personal property, 6 months for real property), and what qualifies.
09.07.2026How probate works in Arizona under the Uniform Probate Code: the difference between informal and formal probate, the role of the personal representative, the four-month creditor window, a realistic timeline, and typical costs. Arizona is a UPC state, so most estates move through simple informal probate.
09.07.2026Five ways Arizonans keep assets out of probate: a revocable living trust, a beneficiary deed for real estate, payable-on-death and transfer-on-death accounts, joint tenancy or community property with right of survivorship, and small estate affidavits. Here is how each one works and when it fits.
09.07.2026What a revocable living trust does in Arizona, how it differs from a will, why funding matters, the role of the pour-over will, and when an Arizonan actually needs a trust rather than a simple will. A plain-language comparison built on the Arizona Trust Code.
09.07.2026Arizona has no state estate tax and no state inheritance tax, so most heirs receive their inheritance free of any Arizona death tax. Only the federal estate tax can apply, and only above a very high exemption ($15 million per person in 2026). Here is exactly what does and does not apply.
09.07.2026Yes, a handwritten (holographic) will is legally valid in Arizona under A.R.S. 14-2503 if your signature and the material provisions are in your own handwriting, with no witnesses required. Here are the exact requirements, how it differs from a witnessed will, the mistakes that void one, and what Arizona community property law means for your spouse.
03.07.2026A free Arizona will template you copy out in your own handwriting to create a valid holographic will. Includes two clean sample texts (single person and married with children), the signature rule under A.R.S. 14-2503, and how Arizona community property protects your spouse.
03.07.2026Arizona has no forced heirship, so you can disinherit an adult child, but the state's community property rules mean you cannot fully cut out a spouse. Learn the omitted-spouse and omitted-child traps, why Arizona has no elective share, and how to state disinheritance clearly in a valid handwritten will.
03.07.2026When an Arizona resident dies without a will, state intestacy law decides who inherits. Because Arizona is a community property state, a surviving spouse and children from a prior relationship can be treated very differently than you might expect. Here is exactly who gets what, and how a simple handwritten will lets you take control.
03.07.2026A practical, step-by-step guide to writing a valid will in Arizona, focused on the handwritten (holographic) route that needs no witnesses, plus the witnessed alternative. Includes a numbered how-to, an Arizona-specific checklist, and clear notes on community property and spousal rights.
03.07.2026Arizona law does not require a lawyer to make a valid will. A handwritten (holographic) will needs no attorney and no witnesses under A.R.S. 14-2503. Here is when a do-it-yourself will is fine and when a blended family, business, trust, or out-of-state property means you should see an estate attorney.
03.07.2026Will and inheritance statistics for Arizona in 2026: how many people have a will, annual deaths, estate values, the great wealth transfer, and what happens with no will.
03.07.2026How much Arizonans really inherit: the median vs mean gap, who ever receives a bequest, amounts by age and wealth, plus Arizona's home values and zero estate tax.
03.07.2026Median and mean household net worth by age band, the mean-versus-median gap, homeownership's role, and how Arizona income and home values compare to the US.
03.07.2026Only about a third of US adults have a will, and the share falls further among younger, lower-income Arizonans. Here are the 2026 numbers, by age, income, race, and reason.
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