estate planning
Navigating Estate Planning?
We’re Here to Guide You Every Step of the Way.
After losing a loved one, you’re left with the responsibility of settling their estate. Estate Planning can feel intimidating: complex paperwork, legal deadlines, potential disputes, and tax implications. You’re concerned about honoring your loved one’s wishes, easing family tensions, and ensuring a fair, efficient distribution of assets.
Meet Your Dedicated Estate Law Advocate
At azlegal estate law, we live your case with you because you deserve more than just another lawyer. Our mission is to make your life better by providing honest, dedicated, and compassionate legal help in family planning, probate matters and administration. We help take care of your estate planning needs during your lifetime, and throughout a disability or death.
Our Mission
At azlegal estate law, we live your case with you. Our mission is to reduce your stress and anxiety about meeting with an attorney to plan for your estate by delivering honest, hard-working, and compassionate legal services to Arizona families. We believe every individual matters and every family is unique. We treat you as we would want to be treated ourselves, dedicating the time and attention needed to do things right.
Why Call us?
We offer REDUCED consultation rates and FREE Material with an experienced Family Based Estate Planning Attorney.
Education
- J.D., Arizona State, 1999
- B.A., Arizona State, Summa Cum
- Laude, 1995
- U.S. District Court – Arizona
Affiliations
Member of Arizona State Bar Probate & Trust Section
East Valley Bar Association
Member of Arizona Forum of Estate Planning Attorneys
Types of Estate Law
Creation of Trusts in Arizona – Overview and azlegal Estate Law's Definition of Estate Planning
The creation of a trust-based estate plan in Arizona is a very common and easy way to ensure that your assets are properly and privately allocated among those you love after you pass on. A trust based plan will help ensure that your plan meets within the scope of our definition of estate planning: Controlling your own assets while your alive and well; providing for you and your loved ones if you become disabled; and then giving what you have, to whom you want, when you want and the way that you want after your passing.
Funding a Living Trust
One of the biggest reasons why a trust-based estate plan will fail, even a properly drafted one with exact instructions left by you, is because it is not properly “funded” prior to your death. Funding is the process of re-titling all of your assets into your revocable living trust or making sure your beneficiary designation properly align with your family goals, leaving no assets titled in your personal name at death, which would be subject to the terms of your Last Will and Testament and the probate administration process.
Financial Durable Power of Attorneys
A durable financial power of attorney is a common estate planning document that should be included with every estate plan, whether a will based estate plan or a revocable living trust based estate plan. This is the legal document where you appoint an “Agent” to handle your affairs while you are alive on your behalf. You can make this document effective on the date that it is signed, or have a “springing power”, which makes it effective only upon your disability, based upon the rules you put in place. This is a powerful document and you should carefully consider who you would like to name as your Agent. We recommend naming alternate agent(s) as well, since if you do not have a financial power of attorney or if you run out of nominated Agents you may be forced to go through an adult conservatorship, which some people refer to as a “living probate”.
Medical Health Care Power of Attorney
Like a financial power of attorney, a durable medical health care power of attorney is a common estate planning document that should be included with every estate plan, whether a will based estate plan or a revocable living trust based estate plan. This is the legal document where you appoint a medical “Agent” to make your medical and personal decision while you are alive when you are unable to verbalize or communicate your own wishes. Like all powers of attorney, you should carefully consider who you would like to name as your Agent. We recommend naming alternate agent(s) as well, since if you do not have a medical power of attorney or if you run out of nominated Agents you may be forced to go through an adult guardianship, which some people refer to as a “living probate”.
Living Wills & Organ Donation
A living will is a carefully drafted legal document whereby you predetermine your wishes whether you would like to terminate life support if its been determined that you are in a terminally irreversible condition or comma, which you are unlikely to come out of or recover from. This is a very important and personal document that needs to be discussed with each client prior to signing. An organ donation document usually will accompany a living will if you wish to donate your organs after your passing.
Last Will and Testaments – Simple Wills
This is the legal document whereby you will be able to do the following: nominate an executor of your estate to take care of and be in charge of your affairs after death; leave instructions regarding whether you prefer to be buried or cremated, nominate a guardian and or conservator to raise your minor child, distribute your estate to named beneficiaries. Although revocable living trusts are used more often than simple wills, we do utilize simple wills, after educating clients, if they meet the family needs and goals. Remember a last will and testament needs to be probate in order to administer your affairs after death, which is a court driven public process.
Revocable Living Trusts
A revocable living trust is a very common estate planning vehicle for the foundation or core of a family’s plan. However, there are a variety of revocable living trusts that could be used depending on your family goals and needs (i.e. simple trust, credit shelter trusts, QTIP trusts, disclaimer trust, joint trust, or separate property trust, etc.) We explain all these possible options in an easy-to-understand way that helps you identify what is needed to meet your family goals. One of the main ideas of a revocable living trust is that it is meant to be private and its administration after death is private rather than going through the probate courts, which is a public administration.
Restatements to a Living Trust
A restatement is actually an amendment to a trust. However, how it differs from a regular amendment is that it basically rewrites or amends the entire existing trust into a new document. Therefore, where a regular amendment will be added to the top of the existing trust, a Restated Trust, will replace the entire existing trust and become a entirely new document. A restated trust is usually easier to read and follow than multiple regular amendments to a living trust. We usually utilize Restatements after multiple amendments or when a family moves to Arizona from another jurisdiction or changes the structure of the trust itself (i.e. changing from a credit shelter trust to a simple trust, etc.).
Special Needs Trust
Special needs trust are specialized trusts that can be created and funded as a stand-alone trust during a parent’s lifetime, or created and funded after the parent’s death, in connection with a parent’s revocable living trust for a child or loved one with disabilities and is receiving government support. The idea behind a special needs trust is that it is intended to only supplement the support being received by the government, not to replace the care being provided. If you create a special needs trust it will need to abide by the very strict rules of the jurisdiction in which the disabled beneficiary lives and receiving government support.
What Sets Us Apart
Direct Representation
Personalized Attention
Transparent Fees
Clear Explanations
Aggressive Representation
Efficient Case Handling
We Understand
Unclear Legal Steps
Unsure how to file the will, inventory assets, or settle debts.
Potential Family Conflicts
Worried that disagreements among heirs could lead to prolonged battles.
Complex Tax and Legal Requirements
Concerned about meeting deadlines, handling creditors, and minimizing taxes.
Fear of Prolonged Delays
Dreading a long, drawn-out process that adds stress to an already difficult time.
Lack of Support
Feeling alone in navigating a system that often feels cold and impersonal.
Our Estate Law Expertise
01
Estate Administration
02
Estate Litigation
03
Trust and Estate Disputes
04
Heir Representation
05
Strategies to Avoid or Minimize Probate
We can help
- Revocable Living Trust
- Creation of a Trust
- Funding a Living Trust
- Simple Wills
- Living Wills
- Codicils & Amendments
- Restatements to Existing Estate Plans
- Financial Power of attorney
- Health Care Power of Attorney
- Charitable Trusts
- Life Insurance Trusts (ILITS)
- Qualified Personal Residence Trust (QPRT)
- Advance Tax Planning
- Irrevocable Gifting Trusts
- Family Limited Partnerships (FLP)
- Limited Liability Companies (LLC)
- Trust Administration
- Small Estate Administration
- Probate & Trust Litigation Services
But Why Do I Need an Arizona Estate Planning Lawyer?
Impactful Client Success Stories
Are You Looking for Help From a Lawyer?
Frequently Asked Questions
azlegal.com (Rowley Chapman & Barney Ltd.) offers a wide range of legal services in Arizona, including personal injury, criminal defense, family and divorce law, estate planning, probate, employment law, business and corporate law, real estate, and general civil litigation.
azlegal.com offers flexible pricing based on case type. Personal injury cases are usually on a contingency fee basis (33.3%–40%), while divorce and family law are billed hourly or sometimes flat-rate. Other services vary by complexity, with hourly or flat fees. Clients cover additional costs like court fees.
For your first consultation at azlegal.com, bring any relevant documents (e.g., contracts, court papers, police reports), a list of questions, and details about your case or situation. This helps the attorney understand your case and provide accurate advice.
The time to resolve your case depends on its type and complexity. Some cases may settle in weeks, while others, especially those involving litigation, can take months or even years. Your attorney will give a better estimate after reviewing your situation.