Free Arizona Last Will and Testament
Build a complete Arizona will in minutes — free, no account. Fill in your details and download a ready-to-sign PDF with the protective clauses built in and Arizona's correct signing requirements.
A free, ready-to-sign will — but not legal advice.
This builds a complete Arizona will with the protective clauses most templates skip (survivorship period, residuary, minor's trust, executor powers). It becomes legally valid only when you sign it correctly (see the signing steps below). For a large or blended estate, have an attorney review it. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
About you
Children
Name all your children, even any you are not leaving anything to — naming them prevents an 'omitted child' claim.
Who inherits everything else (your residuary estate)
The catch-all gift of everything not specifically given. Shares should total 100%.
Specific gifts (optional)
Particular items or sums to particular people.
Executor (the person who carries out your will)
Options
Naming them states the omission is intentional. Note: you generally cannot fully disinherit a spouse (see the warnings).
Before you sign — Arizona notes
Choose 2 witnesses who are adults and who do NOT inherit under this Will. A beneficiary (or a beneficiary's spouse) should never witness your Will.
Add at least one residuary beneficiary with a share above 0%. Without a residuary gift, everything not specifically given would pass by intestacy (state default rules), defeating the point of the Will.
To make this Will valid in Arizona: Put the will in writing and sign it (or direct someone to sign in your conscious presence). At least two witnesses must each sign within a reasonable time after witnessing your signing or your acknowledgment of the signature/will. To make the will self-proving, the testator and both witnesses sign the combined A.R.S. § 14-2504 acknowledgment/affidavit before a notary; in Arizona a signature on the self-proving affidavit also counts as a signature on the will if needed to establish due execution. Notarization of the will itself is not required. Arizona also recognizes holographic wills (signature and material provisions in the testator's handwriting, no witnesses needed).
This is a do-it-yourself Will for a straightforward estate. If you have a large or blended estate, business interests, tax concerns, a special-needs beneficiary, or want to disinherit close family, have an attorney review it. This is not legal advice and RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
Or email yourself a copy (PDF)
Last Will and Testament of [YOUR FULL NAME]
ARTICLE I — DECLARATION
I, [YOUR FULL NAME], a resident of [CITY], [COUNTY] County, Arizona, being of full legal age to make a will and of sound mind and memory, declare this to be my Last Will and Testament, and I revoke all wills and codicils I have previously made.
ARTICLE II — FAMILY
I am not married.
If I have not named or provided for a child or other descendant in this Will, that omission is intentional and not the result of accident or mistake.
ARTICLE III — PAYMENT OF DEBTS, EXPENSES, AND TAXES
I direct my Executor to pay my legally enforceable debts, the expenses of my last illness and funeral, the costs of administering my estate, and any estate or inheritance taxes payable by reason of my death, out of the residue of my estate, without apportionment.
ARTICLE IV — TANGIBLE PERSONAL PROPERTY
I give my tangible personal property (household goods, furniture, vehicles, jewelry, collections, and personal effects not otherwise specifically given) to my residuary beneficiaries as they agree, or as my Executor determines if they cannot agree.
I may leave a separate written memorandum, signed and dated by me, disposing of items of tangible personal property. Arizona law allows such a memorandum to be given effect, and I direct my Executor to honor the most recent such memorandum I leave.
ARTICLE V — RESIDUARY ESTATE
I give all the rest, residue, and remainder of my estate to [RESIDUARY BENEFICIARY].
If no beneficiary named in this article survives me, my residuary estate shall pass to my heirs at law under the intestacy laws of my state.
ARTICLE VI — SURVIVORSHIP
Except as otherwise provided, a beneficiary must survive me by 30 days to receive any gift under this Will. A beneficiary who does not survive me by 30 days shall be treated as having predeceased me. This protects my estate from passing through the estate of a beneficiary who dies shortly after me.
ARTICLE VII — APPOINTMENT OF EXECUTOR
I nominate [EXECUTOR NAME] as Executor of this Will.
I direct that my Executor serve without bond and, to the fullest extent allowed by law, without court supervision (independent administration). My Executor shall have all powers granted to executors and personal representatives under the law of my state, including the power to sell, lease, invest, and distribute estate property, to pay debts and taxes, and to settle claims, all without prior court approval, as my Executor deems to be in the best interest of my estate.
ARTICLE VIII — DIGITAL ASSETS
I authorize my Executor to access, manage, distribute, and dispose of my digital assets and electronic communications, and to act as my fiduciary under the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act (or its equivalent in my state), with full authority to consent to a custodian's disclosure of the content and records of my electronic communications and accounts.
ARTICLE IX — SIMULTANEOUS DEATH
If any beneficiary and I die under circumstances in which the order of our deaths cannot be established, that beneficiary shall be deemed to have predeceased me. If my spouse and I die under such circumstances, my spouse shall be deemed to have predeceased me.
ARTICLE X — GENERAL PROVISIONS
This Will shall be governed by the laws of the State of Arizona.
If any provision of this Will is held invalid, the remaining provisions shall remain in full effect. Words of one gender include the other, and the singular includes the plural, as the context requires. The headings are for convenience only and do not affect the meaning of this Will.
EXECUTION
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I sign this Will, consisting of the foregoing pages, on this _____ day of ____________, 20____, at [CITY], Arizona.
____________________________________
[YOUR FULL NAME], Testator
ATTESTATION — The foregoing instrument was signed by the Testator and declared to be the Testator's Will in our presence, and we, at the Testator's request and in the Testator's presence and in the presence of each other, sign below as witnesses, believing the Testator to be of sound mind and under no constraint or undue influence.
Witness 1: ____________________________ Address: ____________________________
Witness 2: ____________________________ Address: ____________________________
SELF-PROVING AFFIDAVIT (A.R.S. § 14-2504) — sign this part before a notary to make probate easier:
I, [TESTATOR NAME], the testator, sign my name to this instrument this [DAY] day of [MONTH], [YEAR], and being first duly sworn, do hereby declare to the undersigned authority that I sign and execute this instrument as my will and that I sign it willingly, or willingly direct another to sign for me, that I execute it as my free and voluntary act for the purposes expressed in that document and that I am eighteen years of age or older, of sound mind and under no constraint or undue influence. [TESTATOR SIGNATURE], Testator. We, [WITNESS 1 NAME] and [WITNESS 2 NAME], the witnesses, sign our names to this instrument, being first duly sworn, and do hereby declare to the undersigned authority that the testator signs and executes this instrument as his/her will and that he/she signs it willingly, or willingly directs another to sign for him/her, and that each of us, in the presence and hearing of the testator, signs this will as witness to the testator's signing and that to the best of our knowledge the testator is eighteen years of age or older, of sound mind and under no constraint or undue influence. [WITNESS 1 SIGNATURE], Witness. [WITNESS 2 SIGNATURE], Witness. The State of Arizona, County of [COUNTY]. Subscribed, sworn to and acknowledged before me by [TESTATOR NAME], the testator, and subscribed and sworn to before me by [WITNESS 1 NAME] and [WITNESS 2 NAME], witnesses, this [DAY] day of [MONTH], [YEAR]. [SIGNED — Officer], (Seal). (Official capacity of officer.)
How to Sign Your Will in Arizona
Put the will in writing and sign it (or direct someone to sign in your conscious presence). At least two witnesses must each sign within a reasonable time after witnessing your signing or your acknowledgment of the signature/will. To make the will self-proving, the testator and both witnesses sign the combined A.R.S. § 14-2504 acknowledgment/affidavit before a notary; in Arizona a signature on the self-proving affidavit also counts as a signature on the will if needed to establish due execution. Notarization of the will itself is not required. Arizona also recognizes holographic wills (signature and material provisions in the testator's handwriting, no witnesses needed).
Arizona requires 2 witnesses: At least two people, each of whom signs within a reasonable time after witnessing either the testator's signing of the will or the testator's acknowledgment of that signature or of the will. Witnesses need not sign in the testator's presence. Interested witnesses are permitted and a devise to a witness is NOT purged (A.R.S. § 14-2505 — a will or any provision is not invalid because the will is signed by an interested witness).. Your will does not need to be notarized to be valid.
Choose witnesses who are adults and who do not inherit under your will. A beneficiary should never witness your will. Then sign the self-proving affidavit (A.R.S. § 14-2504) in front of a notary. That sworn statement lets the court accept your will without tracking down your witnesses later, which speeds up probate.
Can You Use a Handwritten (Holographic) Will in Arizona?
Holographic wills are valid, whether or not witnessed, if the signature and the material provisions are in the testator's handwriting (A.R.S. § 14-2503). Even so, a typed will signed in front of witnesses is far less likely to be challenged, because handwritten wills are easy to get wrong (unclear gifts, no date, no witnesses) and invite disputes.
Spousal and Family Protections in Arizona
Can you disinherit your spouse? NO elective/forced share statute. As a community-property state, Arizona protects a surviving spouse by giving them automatic ownership of one-half of all community property; the decedent can only dispose of their own half plus separate property. There is NO right to elect against the will for an additional statutory share. A spouse therefore CAN be disinherited from the decedent's half of community property and from separate property (subject to the omitted-spouse rule below).
Children born after your will: After-born/after-adopted child not provided for takes an intestate-equivalent share unless omission was intentional and appears from the will, testator left substantially all to the other parent, or provided outside the will in lieu. ARS § 14-2302. This is why the generator has you name your children and states that any omission is intentional.
If a beneficiary dies before you: Protected class is a devisee who is a grandparent or a descendant of a grandparent of the testator (and certain stepchildren). Issue of the deceased devisee who survive the testator by 120 hours take by representation (UPC § 2-603 model). The generator's "per stirpes" option and survivorship clause work alongside this rule.
Survivorship, No-Contest, and Digital Assets
Survivorship: 120-hour (5-day) survival rule applies (USDA / UPC model, ARS § 14-2104 & § 14-2702). The generator builds in a 30-to-60-day survivorship period regardless.
No-contest clauses: A penalty (no-contest) clause for contesting a will is UNENFORCEABLE if probable cause exists for the contest, proceeding, or action. Arizona Supreme Court defines probable cause as evidence that would lead a reasonable, properly informed person to conclude there is a substantial likelihood the contest will succeed.
Digital assets: Arizona has adopted the Revised Uniform Fiduciary Access to Digital Assets Act, so your executor can manage your online accounts and digital property — the generator includes a clause granting that authority.
Personal-property list: Arizona lets you leave a separate signed list (a "memorandum") giving away specific personal items, so you can update who gets what without rewriting your will.
What Happens If You Die Without a Will in Arizona?
Arizona is a community-property state. The surviving spouse keeps their own half of community property; the decedent's half (and any separate property) usually goes to the spouse too if all children are shared. But if the decedent has a child from another relationship, the spouse loses all claim to the decedent's community half and gets only half of the separate property.
- Spouse, no children: Entire intestate estate (no surviving descendants).
- Spouse and shared children: No surviving descendants, or all of the decedent's surviving descendants are also descendants of the surviving spouse: spouse takes the ENTIRE intestate estate (including the decedent's half of community property).
- Spouse and a child from another relationship: One or more of the decedent's surviving descendants are NOT descendants of the surviving spouse: spouse takes one-half of the decedent's SEPARATE property and NO interest in the decedent's one-half of the community property; the decedent's descendants take the other half of separate property plus the decedent's entire half of community property. This is the gotcha.
- Children, no spouse: No spouse: entire estate to the decedent's descendants by representation.
- No spouse or children: No spouse or descendants: to surviving parent(s) equally; then to descendants of the parents (siblings/their issue) by representation; then split to paternal and maternal grandparents and their descendants.
Community property: Community property: the surviving spouse already owns one-half of the community property; the decedent can only pass the decedent's one-half. If there are no stepchildren, the spouse inherits the decedent's half of the community property too (spouse ends up with all of it). If a child is from another relationship, the spouse keeps only their own one-half and the decedent's community half passes to the decedent's descendants. Separate property is split under ARS 14-2102/14-2103.
Unmarried partners, friends, and stepchildren you have not adopted generally receive nothing under intestacy. A will is how you override these defaults. Source: Ariz. Rev. Stat. §§ 14-2102, 14-2103.
Updating, Revoking, and Storing Your Will
Review your will after any big life change — marriage, divorce, a birth, a death, or a move to a new state. To change it, either sign a new will that revokes the old one (the cleanest option, and what this generator produces) or add a witnessed "codicil." Do not cross things out on a signed will — handwritten edits can invalidate it. Store the signed original somewhere safe and tell your executor where it is; a will that cannot be found is presumed revoked.
Common mistakes to avoid: using a beneficiary as a witness; forgetting a residuary clause (so part of the estate passes by intestacy); leaving a young child a lump sum outright at 18 instead of in trust; not naming a backup executor or guardian; and never actually signing the document. The generator above is built to avoid each of these.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is a will made online valid in Arizona?
Yes, if you sign it correctly. Arizona requires 2 witnesses. The document this tool creates is a standard typed will; it becomes legally valid when you sign it following the steps above.
Does my Arizona will need to be notarized?
No. Arizona does not require your will to be notarized to be valid. Notarizing the separate self-proving affidavit is optional but makes probate easier.
How many witnesses does a Arizona will need?
2 witnesses. At least two people, each of whom signs within a reasonable time after witnessing either the testator's signing of the will or the testator's acknowledgment of that signature or of the will. Witnesses need not sign in the testator's presence. Interested witnesses are permitted and a devise to a witness is NOT purged (A.R.S. § 14-2505 — a will or any provision is not invalid because the will is signed by an interested witness). They should be adults who do not inherit under the will.
Can I leave my spouse out of my Arizona will?
NO elective/forced share statute. As a community-property state, Arizona protects a surviving spouse by giving them automatic ownership of one-half of all community property; the decedent can only dispose of their own half plus separate property. There is NO right to elect against the will for an additional statutory share. A spouse therefore CAN be disinherited from the decedent's half of community property and from separate property (subject to the omitted-spouse rule below).
What happens if I die without a will in Arizona?
Arizona is a community-property state. The surviving spouse keeps their own half of community property; the decedent's half (and any separate property) usually goes to the spouse too if all children are shared. But if the decedent has a child from another relationship, the spouse loses all claim to the decedent's community half and gets only half of the separate property.
Does a Arizona will avoid probate?
No. A will still goes through probate — it directs how your estate is distributed and names your executor, but the court still supervises (often a simplified, independent administration). To avoid probate entirely, people use living trusts and beneficiary designations in addition to a will.
How old do I have to be to make a will in Arizona?
Generally 18. Must be 18 or older and of sound mind (A.R.S. § 14-2501). No marriage/military exception. You must also be of sound mind.
Can I write my will by hand in Arizona?
Arizona recognizes handwritten (holographic) wills, but they are easy to get wrong and easy to challenge. A typed, witnessed will is much safer.
Do I need a lawyer to make a will in Arizona?
Not for a straightforward estate — a properly signed will is valid whether or not a lawyer drafts it. See an attorney if you have a large or blended estate, business interests, tax concerns, a special-needs beneficiary, or want to disinherit close family.
Is this really free?
Yes. The generator is free, requires no account, and runs entirely in your browser — your answers are not sent to a server. It is not legal advice and RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
Disclaimer
This generator produces a general-purpose will for a straightforward estate and is not legal advice or a substitute for an attorney. Will and probate law changes; the Arizona requirements here are current as of 2026-06-03. A will is only valid if signed and witnessed correctly. For a large, blended, or complex estate, tax planning, a special-needs beneficiary, or to disinherit close family, consult a Arizona estate-planning attorney. RecordingLaw.com is not a law firm.
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