Who We Are
More than 40,000 families have trusted RJP to help them protect what they have built and plan for the people who matter most. We offer affordable, personalized estate and financial planning through offices in Scottsdale and Tucson.
Jim and Debbie Placet started this company with a simple belief: every family deserves a real plan, not just the ones who can afford a big law firm. That belief still drives everything we do today.
What Sets Us Apart
Family-Owned, Not a Franchise
RJP is a locally owned Arizona company, not a national chain. Our reputation has been built one client at a time through referrals and repeat business, and our name is on everything we do.
Half the Cost of a Law Firm
Because our qualified advisors handle the non-legal portions of the process, you only pay attorney rates for actual legal work. Our clients typically pay about half of what a traditional law firm charges.
A+ BBB Rating Since 2006
We have held an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau for nearly two decades. That kind of track record does not happen by accident. It reflects how we treat every person who walks through our door.
Lifetime Support Included
Your plan includes complimentary reviews, law-change updates, and full successor trustee support when the time comes. Other firms charge hourly for these services. At RJP, they are part of the package from day one.
Everything You Need, Under One Roof
We also offer life insurance, charitable planning, special needs planning, and estate tax strategies.
Meet With Us Your Way
We know that one size does not fit all, so we offer multiple ways to get started:
Private Office Consultation
Visit our Scottsdale or Tucson office for a one-on-one meeting with an advisor. We will set aside time just for you.
Virtual Consultation
Cannot make it to an office? No problem. We offer virtual meetings so you can get the same personal attention from the comfort of your home.
Educational Seminar
Attend one of our free 90-minute educational seminars at a location near you. Learn the basics, ask questions, and decide if RJP is right for your family.
Built on Referrals, Not Advertising
The majority of our clients come to us because someone they trust — a friend, a neighbor, a family member — told them about their experience with RJP. That kind of word-of-mouth reputation is something you cannot buy, and it is the thing we are most proud of. When someone refers a loved one to us, we treat that as a responsibility, not just a transaction.
A Smarter Way to Get Your Estate Plan Done
RJP Estate Planning is not a law firm. We say that proudly, because it means we built our entire company around one thing: taking care of you before, during, and long after your estate plan is signed.
We partner with licensed estate planning attorneys who handle the legal drafting and document execution. Our advisory team handles everything else: the education, the preparation, the ongoing reviews, and the lifetime of support that comes after. The result is a process that runs smoother, costs less, and gives you a level of personal attention that most law firms simply are not set up to provide.
Why This Model Works Better for You
Our asset protection advisors design your strategy, while independent partner attorneys draft and review every document.
One Price, One Company
You pay one price to one company. The attorney fee is included. No separate bills, no surprise invoices, no hourly clock running in the background.
No Hesitation to Call
Many attorneys bill by the hour, which makes clients hesitant to pick up the phone with questions. With RJP, we have an entire phone staff dedicated to supporting our existing clients. You will never feel like a question is going to cost you.
You Only Pay for Legal Work Where It Matters
A large portion of the estate planning process does not require an attorney. Gathering documents, explaining your options, funding your trust, following up on details. Our qualified professionals handle all of that, so you are not paying attorney rates for work that does not require a law degree. The result? Our clients typically pay about half of what they would at a traditional law firm.
What You Get with Every Estate Plan
Beyond the legal documents themselves, every RJP estate plan includes services that most firms either charge extra for or do not offer at all:
We Prepare You Before
Whether you start with a consultation or attend one of our seminars, our advisory team makes sure you are fully prepared before you ever sit down with the attorney. We walk you through the process, answer your questions, and help you think through the decisions you will need to make. That way, your time with the attorney is focused on what matters: getting your documents done right.
A Promise to You and Your Family
Most estate planning companies focus on the documents. We focus on what happens after. When your loved ones need to settle your estate someday, RJP will still be here to walk them through every step, at no extra charge. No other firm in Arizona includes this.
Meet Our TeamOr jump to our advisors, partner attorneys, or support staff.
What Happens After You're Gone?
What is a Successor Trustee?
When you create a living trust, you name a successor trustee, usually a spouse, adult child, or trusted friend. This person becomes responsible for managing and distributing your assets. It is a big responsibility, and most people have never done it before.
The Problem Most Families Face
Many people set up an estate plan with an attorney who later retires, moves, or closes their practice. When the time comes to settle the estate, families are left navigating a complex process alone. That leads to delays, tax mistakes, and sometimes painful conflicts.
We Walk Them Through It
RJP is a multi-generational company. When your successor trustee needs help, whether next year or decades from now, our team sits down with them and walks through the entire settlement process, step by step, at no extra charge.
What That Actually Looks Like
When a family calls us after a loss, they are not transferred to a voicemail or a call center. They reach a real person who pulls their file, explains the next steps, and personally guides the successor trustee through asset transfers, account closures, tax filings, and distributions, for as long as it takes.
Not a single RJP client with a properly funded trust has ever ended up in probate court. That is a record we work to maintain for every family we serve.
Standing by You Through Life's Hardest Moments
There is the pain of losing someone you love. It is profound and life-altering. But even deeper is the anguish of witnessing someone dear suffer, whether from the slow decline of ALS, cancer, or Alzheimer’s.
And then, there is the pain that feels utterly unbearable. The loss caused by something preventable: reckless behavior, addiction, or a tragic accident.
At RJP Estate Planning, we understand that grief, no matter its cause, is excruciating. We have learned, through our own experiences and those of the families we serve, that there is one thing that can help ease the burden: helping others.
“Healing begins with action, and at RJP Estate Planning, helping others is at the heart of everything we do.”
What Drives Us
Protect the Person, Not Just the Estate
Estate planning is deeply personal. It is about your health care wishes, your children's future, your spouse's peace of mind. Every plan we build starts with understanding who you are and what matters most to you.
Make It Accessible, Not Intimidating
Legal language, unfamiliar processes, and high costs keep too many families from protecting themselves. We break down the complexity, keep the cost fair, and make the process feel human from start to finish.
Serve the Next Generation, Not Just This One
We do not just plan for today. We build plans that carry forward, so your children and grandchildren are protected too. When the time comes, we are still here to help them understand what you put in place and why.
The Families We Serve
Our clients range from young couples buying their first home to retirees managing a lifetime of assets. We work with veterans navigating benefits, business owners planning for succession, families caring for a loved one with special needs, and parents who want to protect their children’s inheritance from divorce or creditors.
There is no minimum asset level and no one-size-fits-all package. We design every plan around your family’s real circumstances and real goals, because that is the only way estate planning actually works.
How It All Started
Jim and Debbie Placet met in 1993 when they were both working for Liberty Financial. Jim worked in the Great American Bank branches inside the Frys grocery stores, offering alternative investments to bank products. Debbie was the wholesaler for those same products and services.
As the financial services industry grew and evolved, so did the Placets’ dream of offering more products and services to the retirees of Arizona. When Great American Bank was taken over by the RTC, the Placets saw an opportunity to build something of their own.
“Jim maintained a strong belief in understanding a person for their needs and their goals, and as a human being, rather than a number.”
Key Milestones
1987
Jim Placet graduates from ASU with a Finance degree and enters the investment and brokerage business in Arizona.
1993
Jim and Debbie meet while both working for Liberty Financial, sparking the partnership that would become RJP.
Mid-1990s
RJP Estate Planning is founded. The Placets recognize that Arizona families need affordable, approachable estate planning backed by real, ongoing support.
2006
BBB accreditation earned. RJP receives its A+ rating from the Better Business Bureau, a rating it has maintained every year since.
2000s–2010s
Growth across Arizona. RJP expands its advisory team, partner attorney network, and seminar program across Phoenix, Scottsdale, Sun City, and Tucson.
2017
RJP-AZ, LLC is incorporated, formalizing the company structure and expanding its insurance and financial services capabilities.
January 3, 2019
Jim Placet passes away. His legacy and vision continue through Debbie and the team he helped build.
Today
A second-generation family company carrying forward the same values, now with two offices and a team that continues to grow.
In Loving Memory of James C. Placet
“Jim will be remembered by his charismatic and magnetic personality. Loved by so many, his legacy will live on.”
James Christopher Placet died on January 3rd, 2019. He was born and raised in Wheaton, Illinois, a west suburb of Chicago. He moved to Arizona and graduated from ASU with a Finance degree in 1987. He then went into the investment and brokerage business, maintaining a strong belief in understanding a person for their needs and their goals, and as a human being, rather than a number.
Jim was a born entrepreneur and took great personal fulfillment in helping others around him. Through his businesses he believed in helping people and educating them on how to make an actual difference in someone’s life, and he shared this philosophy with many. He loved to travel with his family, feeling that life is precious and making memories with the ones he loved was the most important thing.
He is survived by his wife, Deborah, and their daughters Melissa and Emily. He is also survived by his parents, Harold and Rosalie, and his sister, Jane.
Published in The Arizona Republic on January 12, 2019
RJP Today
Under the continued leadership of Debbie Placet and the team Jim helped build, RJP has stayed true to the values he championed: treat every client like family, and never stop being there for them. The company now serves multiple generations of Arizona families, with adult children of original clients coming back to update their own plans, and bringing their friends.
“Every person who walks through our door deserves to be treated as a human being, not a number. That is the belief that started it all, and it is what drives us every single day.”
Ready to learn how RJP can protect your family?