Phoenix Estate Planning, Probate & Elder Law Attorneys
At Copper State Planning, Principal Attorney Leighton Tyau, Esq. helps Phoenix homeowners, professionals, and families protect their hard-earned assets without the hassle of a downtown commute. Whether you need a custom Revocable Living Trust under Arizona Revised Statutes Title 14, representation in the Maricopa County Probate Court, or urgent ALTCS Medicaid asset protection, we offer convenient virtual consultations and streamlined execution tailored to your schedule.
Let’s make a plan
Comprehensive Legal Services for Phoenix Families
We design legally sound, Arizona-specific estate and elder law plans tailored to your family dynamics, Phoenix real estate holdings, and long-term care goals.
Proactive planning preserves your wealth and spares your family unnecessary court intervention. We craft customized estate plans—combining trusts, wills, beneficiary deeds, and advance directives—built around the needs of Phoenix homeowners, executives, and retirees.
Ensure your wishes are legally enforceable under Arizona Revised Statutes (§ 14-2501 et seq.). We assist Phoenix residents in drafting Last Wills and Testaments and Pour-Over Wills that nominate guardians for minor children, designate trusted personal representatives, and prevent family disputes.
Bypass Maricopa County probate and maintain complete privacy over your family’s finances. We establish and fund Revocable Living Trusts, Irrevocable Trusts, and Community Property Trusts for Phoenix families to preserve your double step-up in cost basis and streamline asset distribution.
Settling a loved one’s Phoenix estate doesn’t have to fall solely on your shoulders. We represent personal representatives and out-of-state executors in informal and formal probate proceedings before the Maricopa County Superior Court in Downtown Phoenix, as well as Arizona Small Estate Affidavits (A.R.S. § 14-3971).
Protect your real estate appreciation, business equity, and investment gains from avoidable federal capital gains and estate taxes. We structure Arizona community property agreements, charitable remainder strategies, and tax-efficient trusts for Phoenix households.
Keep your Phoenix company out of probate court if incapacity or death strikes unexpectedly. We align Arizona LLC operating agreements, buy-sell provisions, and membership assignments directly with your personal Revocable Living Trust.
Enter marriage with clarity, transparency, and protection for pre-marital real estate, business interests, or children from a prior relationship. We assist Phoenix couples in drafting enforceable prenuptial agreements compliant with the Arizona Uniform Premarital Agreement Act (A.R.S. § 25-201).
Skilled nursing and memory care costs in Phoenix regularly exceed $8,000 to $12,000 per month. We handle both proactive ALTCS planning and urgent hospital-to-care-facility ALTCS Crisis Planning—including Miller (Income-Only) Trusts and Community Spouse Resource Allowance protections.
Transferring multi-generational wealth requires more than a simple beneficiary form. We structure family trusts, real estate transfers, and spendthrift protections that shield your children’s inheritance from creditors, lawsuits, and divorce.
Avoid expensive court-ordered guardianship and conservatorship proceedings. We prepare Arizona Durable Financial Powers of Attorney, Healthcare Powers of Attorney, Mental Health Powers of Attorney, and Living Wills (A.R.S. Title 36, Chapter 32) for Phoenix residents.
Leave a financial safety net for a child or family member with disabilities without jeopardizing their means-tested government benefits. We draft customized First-Party and Third-Party Special Needs Trusts compliant with federal SSI and Arizona ALTCS rules.
Protect your Phoenix residence and retirement savings from AHCCCS/ALTCS spend-down rules and estate recovery liens. We design Irrevocable Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts and legal spend-down strategies tailored to Arizona’s lookback and resource rules.

Let’s Make a Plan
Don’t worry, we’ve got this. We’ll guide you through every step of the process and
make sure your family and assets are protected.
Call us today to schedule your virtual or in-person consultation.
Why Phoenix Families Choose Copper State Planning
Direct Counsel from Principal Attorney Leighton Tyau, Esq.
There are no “Big Law” egos here, and you will never be passed off to an inexperienced junior associate. You work directly with Leighton Tyau, Esq., an active member of the State Bar of Arizona, tailoring your estate and long-term care plan to the realities of your family, business, and retirement goals.
Zero-Commute Virtual Planning for Busy Phoenix Households
You don’t need to fight Camelback Road or I-10 traffic to put a rock-solid estate plan in place. We conduct strategy and design consultations via Zoom or phone for families across Arcadia, Biltmore, North Central Phoenix, Ahwatukee, and Desert Ridge—making the process effortless from start to finish.
Complete Asset Funding & Deed Recording
An unfunded trust is just an expensive stack of paper. We don’t stop at signing—we prepare and record your Maricopa County real estate deeds and provide clear instructions to align your business interests and financial accounts with your trust.
Contact Us
Our 4-Step Estate & Legacy Planning Process
Clear, Predictable Guidance from Initial Strategy to Asset Funding
1
Consultation
Meet with us virtually from your Phoenix home or office.
Tell us your story, ask questions, and clarify your family and financial priorities.
2
Custom Design
Select your fiduciaries, successor trustees, and protective structures.
We custom-draft your Arizona trusts, wills, and powers of attorney.
3
Review & Sign
Review every provision in plain English via video conference, then complete your signing at our main office or via coordinated notary.
4
Asset Funding
We record your Phoenix real estate deeds with Maricopa County and help align your bank, retirement, and LLC accounts with your trust.
Revocable Living Trusts & Probate Avoidance in Phoenix
In Arizona, relying on a standalone Last Will and Testament does not avoid probate—if you own a home in Phoenix or hold titled accounts exceeding statutory small-estate thresholds, your family will likely have to open a probate case at the Maricopa County Superior Court in Downtown Phoenix. A properly funded Revocable Living Trust under A.R.S. Title 14 transfers your Phoenix real estate and financial accounts privately, immediately, and without court supervision.
For married couples in Phoenix, we also structure joint community property trusts to preserve the double step-up in cost basis under IRC § 1014(b)(6)—potentially saving a surviving spouse and heirs tens of thousands of dollars in capital gains taxes when an appreciated Arcadia, Biltmore, or Central Phoenix property is sold.
Learn More About Trusts
Arizona Long-Term Care System (ALTCS) & Phoenix Elder Law
When a spouse or aging parent needs assisted living, memory care, or skilled nursing in Phoenix, private-pay care costs can rapidly deplete a lifetime of savings. Copper State Planning guides Phoenix families through both proactive Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts and urgent ALTCS Crisis Planning—including hospital-to-rehab transitions from facilities like Banner – University Medical Center Phoenix, St. Joseph’s Hospital, and HonorHealth John C. Lincoln.
Even if an applicant’s monthly Social Security and pension exceed AHCCCS income limits, or a couple holds countable savings above standard resource caps, we utilize Income-Only (Miller) Trusts, Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA) expansions, and home-equity exemptions to qualify your loved one for ALTCS without impoverishing the healthy spouse.
Learn More About Arizona Long-Term Care System (ALTCS)
Maricopa County Probate & Small Estate Affidavits
Serving as a personal representative (executor) or successor trustee for a Phoenix estate brings strict fiduciary duties under A.R.S. Title 14, Chapter 3. Our probate team handles electronic and court filings with the Maricopa County Superior Court Probate Department in Downtown Phoenix, creditor notifications, estate inventories, and real property transfers—including full representation for out-of-state adult children settling a parent’s Phoenix home without needing to travel to Arizona.
When an estate’s real property or personal property falls beneath the statutory limits set by A.R.S. § 14-3971, we also prepare and record Arizona Small Estate Affidavits to transfer Phoenix assets quickly without opening a full court probate proceeding.
Learn More About Probate
Wills, Powers of Attorney & Special Needs Trusts
Every complete estate plan includes legally binding protections during your lifetime and clear instructions for your loved ones. We help Phoenix parents draft Last Wills and Testaments to nominate guardians for minor children, alongside Durable Financial Powers of Attorney, Healthcare Powers of Attorney, Mental Health Powers of Attorney, and Living Wills so your family never faces a contested court conservatorship.
For Phoenix families caring for a child or relative with disabilities, leaving a direct inheritance can accidentally disqualify them from Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or ALTCS healthcare benefits. We establish compliant First-Party and Third-Party Special Needs Trusts (SNTs) to enhance their quality of life while keeping essential benefits intact.
Learn More About Special Needs Trust
Frequently Asked Questions: Phoenix Estate Planning & Probate
Does a Last Will and Testament avoid probate in Phoenix, Arizona?
No. Under Arizona Revised Statutes (§ 14-3971), if a Phoenix resident passes away owning Arizona real estate with net equity exceeding $300,000 or personal property exceeding $200,000 in their individual name, a Will must be administered through the Maricopa County Superior Court Probate Department in Downtown Phoenix. To bypass probate entirely, Phoenix homeowners typically use a funded Revocable Living Trust or an Arizona Beneficiary Deed (A.R.S. § 33-405).
Can I complete my Phoenix estate plan or probate case virtually without driving to an office?
Yes. Copper State Planning handles strategy consultations, document design reviews, and Maricopa County probate court filings remotely via Zoom and phone for clients across Phoenix. When your estate plan is ready for final execution, we coordinate convenient signing options so you never have to sit in Valley traffic.
How can a Phoenix family protect a home and savings while qualifying for ALTCS?
Under AHCCCS/ALTCS rules, an applicant’s primary residence in Phoenix is generally excluded as a countable resource up to the statutory equity limit (or without an equity cap if a spouse resides there). We use Income-Only (Miller) Trusts, Community Spouse Resource Allowance (CSRA) protections, and Medicaid Asset Protection Trusts to qualify seniors for long-term care while shielding the family home from AHCCCS estate recovery liens.

Get In Touch
2999 N 44th St, Suite 450, Phoenix, AZ 85018 (By Appointment Only – Virtual Consultations Available)
Serving Arcadia, Biltmore, Central Phoenix, Ahwatukee & Greater Phoenix
Call us today to speak with your legacy guide.
Hear From Our Happy Clients
Trusted
reviews
Let’s Talk
I’m sure you have a lot of questions. And we’re here to answer them. Just give us a call or fill out the form to the right and we’ll call you.
1490 S Price Rd Suite #102, Chandler, AZ 85286
By Appointment Only
