Arizona Living Trust Preparation
Revocable Living Trust prepared by a Certified Legal Document Preparer with over 20 years of Estate Planning experience. Starting at $1,200.
You worked your entire life for your estate such as your home, savings and other assets. Make sure your hard-earned estate is easily passed along per your wishes. A Revocable Living Trust prepared by Dynasty Legal Documents will be tailored to your specific situation. With the proper care we provide, you can be sure your loved ones can focus on your incredible memory instead of dividing your left-behind possessions.
✓ Arizona Supreme Court Certified CLDP #81830 & #81440
✓ Over 20 years of Estate Planning Law experience
✓ Single Trust $1,200 | Couple Trust $1,500 (transparent pricing)
✓ Two convenient offices: Gilbert & Mesa
What Is a Revocable Living Trust in Arizona?
A Revocable Living Trust is a legal document that holds ownership of your assets during your lifetime and passes them directly to your chosen Beneficiaries when you die — without going through probate. It is one of the most effective estate planning tools available to Arizona families.
You create the Trust while you’re alive (that’s the “living” part) and keep complete control. You serve as your own Trustee and manage your money, property, and investments exactly as you do now. You can change, add to, remove from, or cancel the Trust entirely at any time (that’s the “revocable” part).
When you pass away, your chosen Successor Trustee follows the instructions in your Trust and distributes your assets to your Beneficiaries privately and quickly — typically in weeks rather than the six to twenty-four months a probate case can take in Arizona.
Revocable vs. Irrevocable Trust
Revocable and Irrevocable Trust: A revocable trust allows the Grantors and/or Trustees to amend, alter, revoke, or terminate the Trust, or any provision of the Trust, in whole or in part, by an instrument in writing signed by either of them and delivered to the current acting Grantor, Trustee and/or Trustees.
Upon the death of the last Trustee, Grantor and/or Settlor, the Trust shall become irrevocable.
No other party holds the power to revoke the Trust. Upon the death of the last Trustee, Grantor and/or Settlor, the Trust shall become irrevocable.
Benefits of an Arizona Living Trust
- Avoid probate in Arizona. Keep your money where you want it by avoiding probate in Arizona. Cost savings. Avoiding probate can save substantial fess and costs.
- Potential tax savings. - A trust arrangement can reduce estate taxes for a married couple in certain situations. Ask a tax expert for more information.
- Incapacity management. - Named Trustees can manage assets for a Grantor's benefit if he or she is incapacitated.
- Beneficiary protection - Setting up a continuing trust arrangement in either a will or a revocable trust can protect beneficiaries who are too young or otherwise unsuitable to receive all of their inheritance outright in a lump sum.
- Guardian for minor children – Appoint a Guardian of your choosing to take care of your minor children.
Living Trust vs. Last Will and Testament in Arizona
Most Arizona families benefit from having both a Living Trust AND a Pour-Over Will — each does a different job. This table shows exactly how they compare:
Feature | Living Trust | Last Will & Testament |
Avoids probate | Yes | No |
Effective during lifetime | Yes | No (only at death) |
Handles incapacity | Yes | No |
Keeps estate private | Yes | No (public record) |
Names guardians for minor children | No | Yes |
Can be contested in court | Harder | Easier |
Requires funding/titling assets | Yes | No |
A Trust avoids probate only for assets titled to the Trust. Anything you own in your own name at death still must be probated. That’s why a Pour-Over Will is included in every Dynasty Legal Documents Trust package — it acts as a safety net, sweeping any stray assets into the Trust when you die.
How Much Does a Living Trust Cost in Arizona?
Pricing for an Arizona Living Trust varies dramatically depending on who prepares it. At Dynasty Legal Documents, we publish our pricing transparently so you know exactly what to expect.
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Revocable Living Trust (Single) $1,200.00
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Revocable Living Trust (Couple) $1,500.00
Compare that to the alternatives:
- Arizona estate planning attorney: $2,500 to $5,500+ for a standard Trust package, and $4,000 to $10,000+ for more complex estates. Most attorneys bill hourly after the initial consultation, and pricing is often not published publicly.
- Online trust template services (LegalZoom, etc.): $200 to $500 for a fill-in-the-blank template. The template may or may not comply with Arizona law, there’s no personal review, no in-person meeting, and no help with funding the Trust — which is where most DIY Trusts fail.
- Dynasty Legal Documents (CLDP): $1,200 for a Single Trust or $1,500 for a Couple Trust — a fraction of attorney pricing — with in-person consultation and a complete document package ready to file.
What’s Included in Your Dynasty Trust Binder
- Revocable Living Trust
- Certificate of Trust
- Pour-Over Will
- Durable Financial Power of Attorney
- Medical Power of Attorney
- Mental Power of Attorney
- Declaration of Living Will
- HIPAA Privacy Authorization
- Warranty Deed to put your House into Trust
- Separate Writing Pages-Trust and Will
- Letters to Institutions
- Administration Memorandum
- Trust Schedule
- Assignment of Chattels
- Funding Letter
- Instruction for use of Personal Property Memorandum
- Letter of Last Instructions
Understanding Probate in Arizona
According to the Maricopa County Superior Court, probate — whether formal or informal — is the process of winding up the affairs of a person who has died (the decedent), and includes asking the court to appoint a personal representative (sometimes called an “executor”) of the decedent’s estate and determining if there is a valid Will.
Probate is necessary to pass ownership of the decedent’s probate assets to the decedent’s Beneficiaries if the decedent did not have a Will or Trust. Probate is also necessary to complete the decedent’s financial affairs after his or her death, including ensuring that the decedent’s creditors are paid.
Informal Probate
Informal probate is for estates where there is an original Will, the Will is not being contested, and the heirs listed in the Will are not being disputed.
Formal Probate
Formal probate is required when the requirements of informal probate are not satisfied, and a Judge or Commissioner is needed to resolve disputes.
HOW CAN DYNASTY LEGAL DOCUMENTS HELP?
Dynasty Legal Documents understands legal documents. Owner Melissa Moy has over 20 years working in Estate Planning Law. At most law offices, the paralegal drafts all your documents. Melissa worked as a paralegal in some of the top law firms in Arizona for many years before opening her own legal document office. She has extensive knowledge to prepare your Estate Planning documents with the latest rules to make sure you’re in compliance with current Arizona laws.
That depth of experience is why Dynasty Legal Documents clients repeatedly leave five-star reviews on Google, and why Arizona families choose us over more expensive attorneys for straightforward estate planning.
Two convenient Arizona offices, both by appointment:
Gilbert Office: 1539 W. Elliot Rd, Ste 103, Gilbert, AZ 85233
Mesa Office: 7510 E. Main Street, Mesa, AZ 85207
If you’re not sure whether we prepare a specific document, call us today and ask.
If you’re not sure if we prepare it, call today and ask!
DIRECT LINKS ARE PROVIDED BELOW FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE:
Clerk of the Superior Court: Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court | Home
Formal and Informal Probate: Formal and Informal Probate
Public Access to Probate Case Information: Docket: Public Access to Probate Court Case Information
Probate and Mental Health Department: Probate Department | Maricopa County Superior Court
A.R.S. §36-2934.01: 36-2934.01 – Creation of trusts; eligibility for the system; share of cost
A.R.S. §14-3301: 14-3301 – Informal probate or appointment proceedings; application; contents
Rules of Probate Procedure: Rules of Probate Procedure
ECR: Login
NOTICE: We cannot work with individuals that are currently working with an attorney.
Frequently Asked Questions About Arizona Living Trusts
How much does a Living Trust cost in Arizona?
A Living Trust in Arizona typically costs $2,500 to $5,500 when prepared by an estate planning attorney. Dynasty Legal Documents prepares a complete Arizona Revocable Living Trust package for $1,200 (single) or $1,500 (couple) — a fraction of attorney pricing, with the same Arizona-compliant documents.
What is the downside of a Living Trust?
The main downsides of a Living Trust are the upfront cost (more than a simple Will), the need to properly retitle assets to the Trust (a step many people skip, rendering the Trust useless), and ongoing attention when you acquire new major assets. For most Arizona families with real estate or retirement savings, these downsides are far outweighed by the probate savings.
Is a Trust better than a Will in Arizona?
For most Arizona homeowners, yes — a Trust avoids probate, keeps your affairs private, plans for incapacity, and offers more control over distributions than a Will can. However, every Arizona estate plan should include both. A Pour-Over Will catches any assets not titled to the Trust and directs them into it. Dynasty Legal Documents includes a Pour-Over Will in every Trust package.
Can you set up a Trust without an attorney in Arizona?
Yes. Arizona law allows you to create a Revocable Living Trust without an attorney. You can draft it yourself, use an online template, or — most commonly for families who want professional preparation without attorney pricing — work with an Arizona Supreme Court Certified Legal Document Preparer (CLDP) like Dynasty Legal Documents. A CLDP prepares the documents to Arizona standards but does not provide legal advice.
Does a Living Trust need to be notarized in Arizona?
Yes. An Arizona Revocable Living Trust must be signed by the Settlor and notarized to be fully valid, particularly for trusts that will hold real estate. Notarization proves authenticity and is required by title companies when you transfer real property to the Trust.
Does an Arizona Living Trust need to be filed with the court?
No. Living Trusts are private documents. They are not filed with or registered with the State of Arizona. This privacy is one of the main advantages of a Trust over a Will — Wills become public court records when filed for probate.
What happens if you don’t fund your Living Trust?
If you don’t transfer assets into your Trust by retitling them to the Trust’s name, the Trust holds nothing and your assets go through probate as if you had only a Will. That’s why Dynasty Legal Documents includes a Warranty Deed to put your house into the Trust plus a complete Funding Letter with every package — so you actually finish the job.
Can I change or cancel my Living Trust after it’s set up?
Yes. A Revocable Living Trust can be amended or revoked entirely at any time while you are alive and mentally competent. You can add or remove assets, change Beneficiaries, change your Successor Trustee, or cancel the Trust outright. It becomes irrevocable only when you die.
How long does it take to set up a Living Trust in Arizona?
Most Arizona families complete their Dynasty Legal Documents Trust package within two to three weeks from initial consultation to signed, notarized final documents. Complex estates with multiple properties or business interests may take longer. Call 602.892.2218 to schedule your free consultation and we’ll give you an estimated timeline for your specific situation.
Ready to Protect Your Arizona Estate?
Stop putting it off. The cost of not having a Trust — in probate fees, family stress, public exposure, and months or years of court delay — is far greater than the $1,200 cost of preparing one now.
Dynasty Legal Documents prepares complete Arizona Living Trust packages at a price Arizona working families can afford. No legal jargon. No hourly billing surprises. Just thorough, Arizona-compliant documents prepared by a Certified Legal Document Preparer with 20 years of estate planning experience.
Call 602.892.2218 or Request a Free Consultation Online GILBERT OFFICE 1539 W. Elliot Rd, Ste 103 Gilbert, AZ 85233 MESA OFFICE 7510 E. Main Street Mesa, AZ 85207 |
