This is the wrong question, phrased the way everyone asks it. A will and a living trust are not competitors - they do different jobs, and almost every good Arizona plan contains a will. The real question is which document sits at the center of your plan, and that comes down to one thing: whether your estate should go through probate.
Where each road leads
Will-centered plan
The will is the script probate follows: 6 to 12 months, $5,000 to $15,000 typical attorney fees, public record.
Trust-centered plan
Assets in the trust skip court entirely: distributed in weeks, privately. Setup $1,500 to $3,000, once.
What only a will can do
- Nominate guardians for minor children - the trust cannot.
- Catch whatever was never routed anywhere else (the "pour-over" job).
- Cost almost nothing to put in place. See the Arizona will guide.
What only a trust can do
- Keep the estate out of probate - a will cannot; it is probate's instruction sheet.
- Keep everything private. Probate files are public; trust administration is not.
- Stage inheritances - at ages, in amounts, with conditions - instead of one lump sum at 18.
- Manage your affairs through incapacity, alongside the durable POA.
- Coordinate property in more than one state under one document.
The middle path nobody markets
For a simple estate - adult beneficiaries, one Arizona home, accounts with current designations - a will plus a beneficiary deed plus POD/TOD designations avoids probate for a fraction of a trust's cost. It is less coordinated and it handles incapacity and staged inheritances poorly, but it is a legitimate plan, and any honest advisor will tell you when it is enough.
How most Arizona families land
Modest and simple: will + deed + designations. A paid-off home plus real accounts, minor beneficiaries, a blended family, or multiple properties: trust-centered, with a pour-over will as the backstop. The deciding facts are yours - run the calculator to see what the will-only path would cost your family.
Sources
- A.R.S. ยง 14-10602 (revocation or amendment of revocable trust) (checked 2026-08-09)
- Published Arizona attorney fee guides (on file; ranges current as of 2025-2026)
Educational information only, not legal advice. Have your plan designed by a licensed professional.