Included with every RJP estate plan
Settlement Guidance
When a loved one passes, we walk your successor trustee through every step of settling the estate. No extra charge. No time limit.
Your Family Will Not Face This Alone
When someone you love passes away, grief is not the only thing your family deals with. There are bank accounts to close, property to retitle, beneficiaries to notify, and tax returns to file. Without guidance, the average family spends months trying to figure it out on their own. Settlement guidance is the work that happens after the trust does its job. Our team sits down with your successor trustee and walks them through every step until the estate is closed.
Most families have never settled an estate before. They do not know what forms to use, which institutions to contact, or what timeline to follow. We do, and we stay with them until it is done.
What the Settlement Process Actually Involves
Settling an estate is more than filing paperwork. It is notifying every financial institution, retitling assets into the names of the beneficiaries, coordinating with title companies, filing final income tax returns, and distributing inheritances. We guide your trustee through each step.
- Initial trustee meeting, reviewing the trust and building a step-by-step settlement checklist
- Institution notifications, coordinating banks, brokerages, insurance carriers, and Social Security
- Asset retitling, moving accounts, real estate, and investments to the rightful beneficiaries
- Final tax filings, coordinating the decedent's last income return and any estate tax obligations
- Distributions, walking the trustee through paying beneficiaries according to the trust instructions
Why Families Choose RJP
Attorney-Drafted, Advisor-Guided
A licensed Arizona estate planning attorney drafts the legal documents while our advisory team handles the prep, the conversation, and the follow-up. You only pay attorney rates for actual legal work, which is why our clients typically pay about half of what a traditional law firm charges.
Lifetime Reviews, Included
We review your plan every three to five years and update it whenever Arizona law changes. No hourly clock, no surprise invoice.
Settlement Support for Your Family
When the time comes, our team sits down with your loved ones and walks them through the entire settlement process at no extra charge. No other firm in Arizona includes this.
Settlement guidance is included with every RJP estate plan at no additional charge and with no time limit. The families we serve tell us the same thing: they had no idea how much was involved, and having our team by their side made all the difference.
The families we serve tell us the same thing: they had no idea how much was involved in settling an estate. Having our team by their side made all the difference.
When This Service Matters Most
These are the moments where our team steps in.
- Death of a Spouse. Retitling joint assets, updating beneficiaries, and adjusting the estate plan.
- Death of a Parent. Guiding children through settlement, distributing inheritances, and closing accounts.
- Complex Estates. Business interests, multiple properties, or out-of-state assets that require extra coordination.
- Blended Families. Ensuring distributions follow the trust instructions when multiple family lines are involved.
Your First Step Starts Here
At our live, free estate planning seminars across Phoenix and Tucson, we walk you through how to protect you and your loved ones from probate. We give you a step-by-step plan that's simple and clear. Sign up today for peace of mind tomorrow.
Client Testimonials
Common Settlement Guidance Questions
Answers to the questions Arizona families ask most about settlement guidance.
Keep Learning
Continue Reading
From the Blog
- Successor Trustee & Trust Administration in Arizona: The Complete Guide
Everything a successor trustee actually does, in plain language.
- What Happens After You Create a Living Trust in Arizona
What your trustee can expect when settlement starts, step by step.
- Can Heirs Live in a House During Probate in Arizona?
A common question once probate or settlement begins, with the Arizona-specific answer.
Glossary
- Successor Trustee
The person who steps in to manage and distribute the trust after you pass or become incapacitated.
- Personal Representative
The person appointed to administer an estate when there is no trust in place.
- Letters Testamentary
The court document that gives the personal representative authority to act for the estate.
- Trust Accounting
The formal record of all transactions a trustee makes during settlement.
- Residuary Estate
Everything left in the estate after debts, expenses, and specific gifts are paid out.
- Probate
The court process for settling an estate when assets are not held in a trust or otherwise titled to pass directly.