What Is An Arizona Holographic Will?
An Arizona holographic will is a handwritten document that is dated and signed by the person who is stating their wishes. Arizona probate law makes it very clear that this is a valid will. All you have to do is hand write your wishes, date, and sign the document. The original of this document will be filed with the court after your death.
So what’s all the fuss with lawyers creating “more complicated wills”? A holographic will is much easier to contest. Imagine it this way: the simpler your will is, the more complicated the process will be to make it valid after you die. The more complicated your will is, the simpler the process will be to implement your wishes after you die. While this may be an over generalization, it’s remains a pretty good way to think about estate planning.
The reality from experience is that a holographic will can get approved by the probate court; the big problem is that they are much easier to challenge by other beneficiaries. If your goal is to make things simple, you have to decide whether it’s going to be simple for you right now when you draft your will, or will it be simple for your family members who you’ve left behind.
If you’d like to talk about whether or not you should create something more than a holographic will, please contact our office. Our process is not complicated and we walk you through step-by-step to make sure your wishes are known and that they will be simple for your family to implement. Call our office at 480-418-8448 and find out how we can help you take away the guessing.
