Create your Arizona will confidently

An Arizona last will and testament, commonly called a will, is a legal document used for planning for your loved ones’ care and distributing your money and property after you die. You can use a will to say who will receive your assets and to name a guardian for your children.

The person who creates a will is known as the testator of the will. The testator will name a personal representative, sometimes called an executor, to manage assets and ensure that they are distributed in accordance with the will. A court will oversee your personal representative through a process called probate.

Any gift made through your will is called a “devise,” and the people who receive a devise are called “devisees” (sometimes called “named beneficiaries” as well).

Distribution of property is based on Arizona’s state intestacy laws. If you are married, your spouse will receive everything if you do not have descendants or if all your children are also your spouse’s children. If you have descendants with another person, your spouse will receive half of your intestate assets, and your children will split the rest.

If you do not have descendants or a spouse, a court will move to increasingly more distant relatives until it finds someone to inherit from you. If you have no relatives, your property may go to the state.

If you have children with more than one partner, a child with special needs, or significant assets, you should ask an attorney for legal advice. An attorney can create an entire estate plan that includes other estate planning documents, like a power of attorney or a trust.

Using FindLaw’s Arizona will forms, you can get a customized will that will be legally valid after following all the requirements. This can save a lot of money and allow you to fill out your will online.

If you hire an attorney, you likely will pay at least a few hundred dollars for a simple will. The cost of a will depends on several factors, including the complexity of your assets and family. Some attorneys will charge an hourly rate but many attorneys charge a flat fee for a will.

Disclaimer: FindLaw is not a law firm, and the forms are not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney.

You probably can find a free will form online but you have to be very careful when using these. Estate laws are different in every state and filling out a free form may not provide the necessary checks to create a legally valid will. If a free will does not comply with Arizona law, it could leave you with an invalid will.

The FindLaw will forms are prepared by attorneys and developed for each individual state. The convenient step-by-step guide allows you to create a will from the comfort of your home, and has all the information necessary to make sure the will is legally valid in Arizona once completed.

You can change your will by making a codicil. A codicil is the legal term for an amendment to a will. Generally, you would only use a codicil for minor changes to your will. For substantial changes, you should consider creating a new will. If you buy a FindLaw Arizona will, you can make changes to your will for up to a full year.

You can revoke your will if you burn, tear, cancel, obliterate, or destroy your will with the intent to revoke it. If you create a new will that is inconsistent with your current will, it will revoke the current will to the extent it is inconsistent. However, it is best to revoke a will by creating a new will that states it revokes previous wills and codicils. Doing so will avoid any confusion about your intent.

Arizona recognizes holographic wills. A holographic will is completely in the testator’s handwriting (or the material portions are in the testator’s handwriting), and is signed only by the testator (no witnesses are required). You only should use a holographic will if death is imminent and you cannot obtain a form or witnesses. Holographic wills can be subject to a challenge because the probate court will need to interpret your handwriting and confirm the handwriting is yours.