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Arizona Last Will and Testament Template

FindLaw’s attorney-created forms and easy step-by-step process help you create an Arizona will that can provide for your loved ones.

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Arizona last will and testament options to suit your needs

Basic Will

A last will template that covers the essentials

FREE

Template has limited personalization

What’s included:
  • A fillable template that meets basic needs
  • Compliant with your state’s laws

Last Will and Testament

For One Person

A do-it-yourself last will that’s easy to personalize.

$99
What’s included:
  • Step-by-step guided process
  • Attorney-approved document compliant with your state’s laws
  • A last will and testament that’s customized to your wishes
  • Free changes and revisions to your will for up to one full year after purchase

BEST VALUE

Estate Planning Package

For One person

All the forms you need to create a personal estate plan

$189
What’s included:
  • Last will and testament
  • Health care directive
  • Power of attorney
  • Free HIPAA release form
  • A comprehensive plan — for less
  • Free changes and revisions for up to one year after purchase

Still not sure what estate planning tools you need?

Why having a will in Arizona benefits you and your loved ones

If you die without a will, a court will follow Arizona’s intestate succession laws to decide how to distribute your property and include a list of relatives who can inherit from you. However, intestacy laws may not follow your wishes, especially if you want to leave property or money to friends, unmarried partners, or distant relatives. If you create a will, you can control who receives your assets and provide for your loved ones as you see fit, including specifying when beneficiaries can access their inheritance and intentionally excluding individuals you do not wish to inherit.

We provide a free template for an Arizona last will and testament on this page available for download in PDF and Word. You have the option to edit, download, and print these sample forms.

With FindLaw, you can easily create a will. Click on the links below to jump down the page:

Last updated: January 24, 2022

Jeff_Burtka_image

Written by:

Jeff Burtka, Esq.

Contributing Author

Reviewed by:

John Devendorf, Esq.

Contributing Author

How It Works

It only takes minutes to control your future. Need help? Contact one of our directory attorneys.

Create an account

Create a secure account which is accessible through an easy dashboard you can access any time.

Gather information

You will need a list of your assets, contact information for important people, and any wishes you want to be honored when you’re gone.

Complete your documents

Answer all questions, then we’ll generate your digital documents for downloading, printing, and signing.

Make it legal

Carefully follow the instructions provided in the form, which may include signing your documents in front of witnesses or a notary.

Free Download

Plan for your future with confidence

This free guide will help you:

  • Learn the most common estate planning terms

  • Understand the essential estate planning tools

  • Gather critical information with an estate planning checklist

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How to get a will in Arizona

You can hire a lawyer to make a will or you can use a will form from a reliable source. When using a last will and testament form or template, follow these steps:

List all your assets

Make a list of everything you own, including money, personal items, real property, retirement accounts, and life insurance policies. Not all these items will pass through your will. For example, life insurance policies and retirement accounts with proper beneficiary designations will not pass through a will. Items you own jointly with another person at the time of your death will not go through probate.

When deciding how to give your property away, you can use a separate list of personal property that you can update from time to time. The list cannot include real estate or money. To use a list of property, your will must refer to a written statement or list that disposes of tangible items of personal property. The list must either be in your handwriting or be signed by you. It also must describe the items and the devisees with reasonable certainty.

You can create the list before or after you execute your will. This allows you to change who will receive specific items of personal property without needing to revise your will.

Choose your devisees

You can provide property, money, or other assets to loved ones or entities like charities and schools. You can use a will to give something sentimental to a friend or to give money as a thank you to someone who cared for you. If you want to name a charity as a devisee, contact the charity to see what types of gifts it can accept.

Choose a personal representative

Being a personal representative is an important and time-consuming role. Your personal representative must be an adult and should be willing to serve. Choose someone who is trustworthy and responsible with money. You also should select one or two successors to serve if your first choice is unable.

A personal representative will manage your estate during probate. Their duties will include:

  • Identifying, collecting, and protecting your assets
  • Notifying your creditors
  • Using your estate’s assets to pay your estate’s expenses and taxes
  • Distributing your assets to your devisees as instructed by your will

Your personal representative also can use your estate’s assets to hire attorneys, accountants, and other professionals to help with probate.

Choose a guardian for your children

Many people decide to make a will when they have children because they are concerned about who will care for their children. If you have minor children, a guardian will raise your children if both you and the children’s other parent die. When naming a guardian in your will, you also should name successor guardians in case your first choice cannot serve.

When naming a guardian, consider the following questions:

  • Are they willing to raise your children?
  • Will they have the time and energy to raise them?
  • Are they financially secure?
  • Do they have a good relationship with your children?
  • Will your children have to move far away to live with them?

Sign your will form with witnesses

In Arizona, your will must be in writing, and you must sign it or direct another person to sign it in your name while they are in your presence. At least two adults must sign as witnesses within a reasonable time after witnessing you sign the will or acknowledge that the signature or will is yours.

Your witnesses cannot be a devisee or a devisee’s relative unless you create a self-proving will. Even if you use a self-proved will, you should avoid using a devisee as a witness to prevent later claims of undue influence.

A self-proved will allows a court to accept the will as validly signed without needing to track down your witnesses to testify about the signing. To make a self-proved will, you and your witnesses must sign an affidavit attached to the will and have your signatures notarized by a notary public.

Store your will in a safe place

After your will is signed, store it in a safe place. Make sure your personal representative and other trusted people know where it is. Common places to store a will include:

  • A safe place in your home
  • A safety deposit box
  • A law firm

If you use a safe deposit box at a bank, make sure your personal representative and other designated people will be able to access it after you die. If you ask a law firm to store your will, ask your attorney what the firm’s plans are for storing your will if the firm goes out of business.

Review your will from time to time

Review your will when you have children or grandchildren or when you marry or divorce. You also should review it if you have a significant change in your net worth. Even if your family members or financial situation doesn’t change, it can be helpful to review your last will and testament every few years to make sure it still meets your goals. You also can ask an attorney licensed in Arizona to review your will in case laws have changed.

You may want to speak with a lawyer if you:

  • Have a past divorce, blended family, or other complex family situation
  • Have a high-value estate
  • Own a business
  • Want to create a special needs trust
  • Want legal review of your completed will
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Frequently asked questions about Arizona wills

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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).

You do not need a lawyer to make a will in Arizona. Any adult can make a will as long as they follow the legal requirements for making one. If you are comfortable using form documents and have simple assets (property), you should be fine filling out an easy-to-use will form.

FindLaw is not a law firm, and the forms are not a substitute for the advice or services of an attorney. There are many instances where it is a good idea to speak with a lawyer about your will. You can also ask an estate planning lawyer in Arizona to review your form before you execute it.

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.

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