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Arizona Estate Law Summary

Note: You can also Access a Personal Planning Package for the State of Arizona. or Prepare a Will Online

Note: This summary is not intended to be all inclusive of the law of Arizona wills law, but does contain basic and other content.
Who may make a will: A person who is eighteen years of age or older and who is of sound mind may make a will. 14-2501.

Execution; witnessed wills: A will shall be: 1. In writing.
2. Signed by the testator.
3. Signed by at least two witnesses. 14-2502.

Self-proved wills: A self-proving affidavit as provided by statute may be used at the time of the executiuon of the will to substantiate the vaildity of the execution of the will. 14-2504.

Witnesses; requirements: A person who is generally competent to be a witness may act as a witness to a will. The signing of a will by an interested witness does not invalidate the will or any provision of it. 14-2505.

Revocation of will; requirements: A testator may revoke a will in whole or in part:
1. By executing a subsequent will that revokes the previous will or part expressly or by inconsistency.
2. By performing a revocatory act on the will if the testator performs the act with this intent or if another person performs the act in the testator's conscious presence and by the testator's direction. For purposes of this paragraph, "revocatory act on the will" includes burning, tearing, canceling, obliterating or destroying the will or any part of it. A burning, tearing or canceling is a revocatory act on the will whether or not the burn, tear or cancellation touched any of the words on the will.

If a subsequent will does not expressly revoke a previous will, the execution of the subsequent will wholly revokes the previous will by inconsistency if the testator intended the subsequent will to replace rather than supplement the previous will.

The testator is presumed to have intended a subsequent will to replace rather than supplement a previous will if the subsequent will makes a complete disposition of the testator's estate. If this presumption arises and is not rebutted by clear and convincing evidence, the previous will is revoked and only the subsequent will is operative on the testator's death.

The testator is presumed to have intended a subsequent will to supplement rather than replace a previous will if the subsequent will does not make a complete disposition of the testator's estate. If this presumption arises and is not rebutted by clear and convincing evidence, the subsequent will revokes the previous will only to the extent the subsequent will is inconsistent with the previous will and each will is fully operative on the testator's death to the extent they are not inconsistent.14-2507.

Incorporating outside document into a will; requirements: A testator may incorporate a written document into the testator's will by reference if the following requirements are met:
1. The document exists at the time the testator executes the will.
2. The will's language manifests the testator's intent to incorporate this document.
3. The will's language describes the document with enough specificity to allow its identification. 14-2510.

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References to separate lists; requirements: A will may refer to a written statement or list to dispose of items of tangible personal property other than money and not otherwise specifically disposed of by the will.

To be admissible under this section as evidence of the intended disposition, the writing shall either be in the testator's handwriting or be signed by the testator and shall describe the items and the devisees with reasonable certainty.

The writing may be:
1. Referred to as one to be in existence at the time of the testator's death.
2. Prepared before or after the execution of the will.
3. Altered by the testator after its preparation.
4. A writing that has no significance apart from its effect on the dispositions made by the will.14-2513.

Contracts regarding wills; requirements; effect:
A. After December 31, 1994, a person may enter into a contract to make a will or devise or not to revoke a will or devise or to die intestate only by:
1. Provisions of a will that state the material provisions of the contract.
2. An express reference in a will to a contract and extrinsic evidence proving the terms of the contract.
3. A writing signed by the decedent evidencing the contract.
B. The execution of a joint will or mutual wills does not create a presumption of a contract not to revoke the will or wills. 14-2514.

Click Here for Arizona State Will & Estate Forms

Description - Arizona Life Documents Planning Package, including Will, Power of Attorney and Living Will

The Legal Life Documents Personal Planning Package contains essential life documents, information on how to organize life documents and other products. The documents in this package are State Specific.

This package contains the following forms:

Last Will
General Durable Power of Attorney
Arizona Health Care Power of Attorney
Mental Health Care Power of Attorney
Statutory Living Will
Estate Planning Questionnaire and Worksheets
Personal Planning Information and Document Inventory Worksheets

Detail Information on each form:

Last Will - Complete this form to detail in writing your wishes regarding who is to receive your property at death and who will administer your estate. It also enables you to appoint trustees or guardians, if applicable.
General Power of Attorney for Property and Finances Effective Immediately - This General Durable Power of Attorney is a general, durable power of attorney which is effective IMMEDIATELY. The powers granted to an Agent in this Power of Attorney are very broad. This Power of Attorney does NOT provide for health care services. This form complies with all applicable state statutory laws.
Health Care Power of Attorney - This Statutory Power of Attorney for Health Care form gives the person acting as your agent, the authority to make any and all health care decisions for you in accordance with your wishes when you are no longer capable of making them yourself.
Mental Health Care Power of Attorney - Statutory Form - This is a statutory form that is provided for in the Arizona Statutes.
Statutory Living Will - This Statutory Living Will form allows you to express your wishes and desires if it is determined that your death will occur whether or not life-sustaining procedures are utilized and where the application of life-sustaining procedures would serve only to artificially prolong the dying process. It is a declaration that such procedures be withheld or withdrawn, and that you be permitted to die naturally with only the administration of medication or the performance of any medical procedure deemed necessary to provide you with comfortable care.
Estate Planning Questionnaire and Worksheets - This Estate Planning Questionnaire and Worksheet is for completing information relevant to an estate. It contains questions for personal and financial information. You may use this form for client interviews. It is also ideal for a person to complete to view their overall financial situation for estate planning purposes.
Personal Plannng Information and Document Inventory Worksheets - This form enables you to document matters relevant to your life and personal planning such as the location of your important legal documents, relatives names, contact information, medical information, financial asset inventory and more.

Arizona Estate and Personal Planning Forms

Arizona Estate Law Summary