Arizona Revocable Living Trust Preparation
A revocable living trust, prepared for your family.
We prepare Arizona revocable living trust packages, including the documents most clients pair with a trust.
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Full preparation, clear flat pricing
No court filing fee applies to a trust. If real property is moving into the trust, the county recorder charges a flat $30 fee per deed, the same in every Arizona county.
Individual Living Trust
plus $30 county recorder fee, only if a deed is included
- Revocable trust for a single grantor
- Pour-over will
- Financial & medical power of attorney
Joint Living Trust
plus $30 county recorder fee, only if a deed is included
- Revocable trust for a married couple
- Two pour-over wills
- Financial & medical power of attorney for each spouse
Trust + Will + POA Bundle
plus $30 county recorder fee, only if a deed is included
- Everything in the Joint/Individual tier
- Deed(s) transferring real property into the trust
- Schedule A asset list
How a revocable living trust works in Arizona
A revocable living trust is an arrangement you create while you are alive. You, as the grantor, transfer assets into the trust and usually serve as your own trustee, so you keep managing them. You name a successor trustee to take over if you become incapacitated or pass away, and beneficiaries who receive what remains according to the instructions you wrote. Because you can change or cancel it at any time while you have capacity, it is called revocable. Arizona's trust law is found in the Arizona Trust Code, A.R.S. Title 14, Chapter 10.
A living trust is a private document that is not filed with a court, so there is no court filing fee. This page explains the general process so you can see how the pieces fit together. It is general information, not legal advice, and it cannot tell you whether a trust is right for you.
How a living trust is set up, step by step
- 1
Decide the basics
Who will be your trustee and your successor trustee? Who are your beneficiaries, and how should assets be shared? These are your decisions. The documents are prepared to match your instructions.
- 2
Sign the trust and related documents
The trust is signed by the grantor and is typically notarized. A companion pour-over will is signed in front of two witnesses. Powers of attorney name the people you choose to handle your finances and medical decisions if you cannot.
- 3
Fund the trust
A trust only controls what has been transferred into it. Real estate is moved by recording a deed with the county recorder, and the recording fee is a flat $30 per deed in every Arizona county. Bank and investment accounts are retitled with each institution.
- 4
Keep it current
Life changes such as marriage, divorce, a new child, or a new home can mean the documents should be reviewed. A revocable trust can be amended while you have capacity.
- 5
If you become incapacitated or pass away
The successor trustee steps in and manages or distributes the trust's assets under its terms. Assets properly titled in the trust generally pass without probate court involvement. Anything left out may need probate, which is the job of the pour-over will.
The documents in a living trust package
Your package lists exactly what is included. These are the documents involved and what each one does.
- Revocable Living Trust
- The core document. It names the trustee, the successor trustee, and the beneficiaries, and sets out how trust assets are managed and distributed.
- Pour-Over Will
- A backup will that directs any assets not transferred into the trust to be moved into it at death.
- Financial Power of Attorney
- Names the person you choose to handle your finances if you are unable to.
- Medical Power of Attorney
- Names the person you choose to make health care decisions for you if you are unable to.
- Deed to the trust (bundle)
- Transfers real property into the trust. It is recorded with the county recorder for a flat $30 fee.
- Schedule A asset list (bundle)
- An attached list of the assets you are placing in the trust.
Key Arizona rules at a glance
- Revocable
- You can change or cancel the trust at any time while you have capacity.
- No court filing
- A living trust is private and is not filed with a court, so there is no court filing fee.
- Funding matters
- A trust controls only the assets titled in it. Assets left out may still go through probate.
- Recording fee
- Moving real property into a trust is done by a recorded deed. The county recorder's fee is a flat $30 per deed statewide.
- Taxes and creditors
- A revocable living trust generally does not, by itself, reduce income or estate taxes or protect assets from creditors during your lifetime.
- Individual or joint
- An individual trust is for one grantor. A joint trust is designed for a married couple and includes provisions for when the first spouse passes away.
Is document preparation the right fit?
Often a good fit when
- You have decided you want a revocable living trust and need the documents prepared.
- You know who you want as trustee, successor trustee, and beneficiaries.
- You want a pour-over will and powers of attorney prepared with the trust.
- You are a single individual or a married couple.
People often talk with an attorney when
- You are deciding between a trust and a will and want advice on which fits.
- Your estate is large enough that estate tax is a concern.
- You own a business, or property in another state.
- A beneficiary has special needs, or you want creditor or Medicaid planning.
A legal document preparer is not a lawyer and cannot give legal advice. Communications with a legal document preparer are not privileged. This page is general information about how this Arizona process works, not advice about your situation.
Frequently asked questions
What is a revocable living trust?+
It is an arrangement you create while you are alive. You transfer assets into the trust and usually manage them yourself as trustee, name a successor trustee to take over if you become incapacitated or pass away, and name beneficiaries who receive what remains. You can change or cancel it at any time while you have capacity.
What's the difference between a will and a living trust?+
A will takes effect at death and generally goes through probate court. A living trust takes effect when it is created, and assets properly titled in it generally pass without probate. A pour-over will works alongside a trust as a backup. Which approach fits you is your decision.
Does a living trust avoid probate in Arizona?+
Assets that have been properly transferred into the trust generally pass under the trust's terms without probate court involvement. Assets left out of the trust may still need probate, which is why funding the trust matters.
What is a pour-over will?+
It is a backup will that directs any assets you did not transfer into your trust to be moved into it at your death. In Arizona a will is signed in front of two witnesses.
Do I have to put my house in the trust?+
A trust controls only the assets titled in it. If you want real property governed by the trust, a deed transferring it into the trust has to be signed and recorded with the county recorder, which charges a flat $30 per document. Our bundle includes the deed.
Can I change my living trust later?+
Yes. A revocable trust can be amended or revoked at any time while you have capacity. Life events such as marriage, divorce, a new child, or a new home are common reasons people review their documents.
What is a successor trustee?+
The person or institution you name to manage the trust if you can no longer do so, because of incapacity or death. You choose them, and you can name backups.
What does a living trust cost in Arizona?+
Our packages are a flat fee and are listed on this page. There is no court filing fee for a trust. If real property is moved into the trust, the county recorder charges a flat $30 per deed.
Do I need a court filing fee for a trust?+
No. A living trust isn't filed with a court, so there's no court filing fee. If you're moving real property into the trust by deed, the county recorder charges a flat $30 recording fee per document, the same in every Arizona county, separate from the package price.
What's the difference between an individual and joint trust?+
An individual trust is for a single grantor. A joint trust is built for a married couple and includes a first-death article and documents for both spouses.
Is a trust right for me instead of a will?+
That's a decision only you (optionally with an attorney) can make. We can prepare the documents you decide on, but we can't advise you on which is the better fit for your situation.
Are you attorneys?+
No. QuickDocsAZ is a certified legal document preparation service, not a law firm. We prepare your documents exactly as you direct, but we do not provide legal advice.