Educational guide — not legal advice. Costs vary by attorney and Arizona county. Always get a written engagement letter with the exact fee before any 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 | $300–$700 |
| Will + financial POA + health directives (basic plan) | $600–$1,800 |
| Revocable living trust package (trust + pour-over will + POAs + directives) | $1,500–$4,000 |
| Complex plan (blended family, special needs, business, out-of-state property) | $4,000–$8,000+ |
| Online will (simple situation) | $0–$300 |
Phoenix, Scottsdale, and Tucson run at the higher end; smaller Arizona markets run lower. Re-verify current quotes locally.
What each package includes
A basic will ($300–$700)
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 ($600–$1,800)
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 ($1,500–$4,000)
Everything above plus a revocable living trust and a pour-over will. In Arizona this is worth it mainly 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. Ask whether trust funding is included.
A complex plan ($4,000–$8,000+)
Blended families, special-needs beneficiaries, business succession, or out-of-state property. The price reflects real attorney time.
Why most Arizonans don’t need the expensive plan
Arizona is one of the cheaper states to settle an estate, which changes the value of a trust:
- Informal probate. As a Uniform Probate Code state, most Arizona estates use informal probate — a light-touch process with no statutory fee percentage. Routine attorney fees run $3,000–$7,000, and court filing is about $300.
- No state death taxes. Arizona has no estate or inheritance tax.
- Free probate-avoidance tools. A beneficiary deed (A.R.S. §33-405) passes your home outside probate; POD/TOD and beneficiary designations handle accounts; and small-estate affidavits now cover up to $200,000 of personal property and $300,000 of home equity.
Because you can avoid probate cheaply without a trust, most Arizona families are well served by a $600–$1,800 will-based plan plus a beneficiary deed. See Do You Need a Living Trust in Arizona if You Have a Will? and Transfer on Death Deed vs. Living Trust in Arizona.
Online and DIY options
For simple situations, online services (FreeWill, Trust & Will, LegalZoom, Quicken WillMaker) produce Arizona-compliant wills for $0–$300. They’re a good fit when your situation is straightforward and you can confidently answer a guided questionnaire.
Arizona also recognizes holographic (handwritten) wills if the material provisions and signature are in your handwriting — valid, but easy to get wrong, so a typed, witnessed will (or a good online will) is safer. 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
- Buy the plan you need, not the trust you don’t. For most Arizonans, the will-based plan plus a beneficiary deed is enough.
- Do the prep work — know your personal representative, guardians, and beneficiaries before meeting the attorney.
- Comparison-shop — flat-fee quotes vary across Arizona; get two or three.
- Keep beneficiary designations current — 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.
The honest takeaway
For most middle-class Arizonans, a $600–$1,800 attorney package — will, financial POA, and health directives — plus a beneficiary deed on the home is a complete plan, and there’s no state death tax to worry about. Add a living trust ($1,500–$4,000) only if you want privacy, incapacity protection, out-of-state coverage, or control over how heirs receive assets. The biggest mistakes here are doing nothing, or overpaying for a trust you don’t need in a state that makes probate easy to avoid for free.
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. An attorney is worth it for complex situations or the certainty of professional drafting.
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?
Typically $1,500–$4,000 from an attorney for a full trust package, or $300–$600 online for a simple situation. Remember to fund it — and consider whether a beneficiary deed would do the job for less.
Is probate expensive in Arizona?
No. Informal probate with no statutory fee percentage means routine cases run about $3,000–$7,000 in attorney fees plus roughly $300 in filing — and many estates avoid probate entirely with a beneficiary deed and beneficiary designations.
What’s the difference between the plan cost and probate cost?
The plan cost ($300–$4,000) is what you pay now to create documents while you’re alive. Probate cost ($3,000–$7,000+) is what your estate pays after death to settle through the court. Spending a little on a plan — especially a beneficiary deed — is often what keeps the later probate cost low or eliminates it.
Do I need a mental health care power of attorney in Arizona?
It’s optional but commonly included. Arizona has a separate mental health care power of attorney that lets your agent make mental-health treatment decisions a standard health care POA may not cover. 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. Always get a written engagement letter before any work begins. Sources: A.R.S. Title 14, §§14-3719, 14-3971, 33-405; State Bar of Arizona; published flat-fee surveys.