Top Rated Scottsdale Estate Planning Attorney

Top Rated Estate Planning Attorney in Scottsdale

As a top-rated Scottsdale estate planning attorney, Allison Kierman is dedicated to helping individuals and families create customized estate plans that protect their assets, provide for their loved ones, and preserve their legacy. As an experienced estate planning lawyer and trust attorney in Scottsdale, she offers a full range of services, including wills, revocable living trusts, irrevocable trusts, powers of attorney, healthcare directives, and comprehensive trust and estate planning strategies. Each plan is carefully tailored to reflect your unique goals, family dynamics, and financial situation.

Estate planning is not just for the wealthy. Regardless of the size of your estate, working with a knowledgeable Scottsdale wills and trusts attorney ensures your wishes are clearly documented and legally enforceable. At Kierman Law, clients receive personalized guidance through every step of the estate planning process, from initial consultation to implementation and future updates.

Without proper estate planning in Scottsdale, your loved ones may face unnecessary stress, delays in probate, and potential legal disputes. Your children may not have a legally designated guardian, and your assets could be subject to excessive taxation or distributed in ways that do not align with your intentions. A well-structured estate plan also helps minimize probate, protect your privacy, and ensure a smooth transfer of assets.

By working with a trusted Scottsdale estate planning lawyer and probate attorney, you can take control of your future and protect what matters most. Kierman Law is committed to helping Scottsdale families achieve long-term security, asset protection, and peace of mind.

Scottsdale Estate Planning Services

Asset Protection

Asset protection planning is an important step in the estate planning process, regardless of age, health, and wealth.

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Business Planning

We help families protect their businesses and make generational transfers to ensure the continuity and lifespan of the family business.

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Elder Law

We help clients in Scottsdale navigate the complex rules around long-term care, Medicaid, VA benefits, and asset protection without the confusion.

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Financial Directives

A Financial Power of Attorney (FPA) allows you to select a person to be responsible for managing your estate if you become mentally incapacitated.

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Medical Directives

It is important to be proactive and select a medical agent and set up your advance healthcare directive should you or a loved one fall ill.

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Prenuptial Agreements

Finalizing a prenuptial agreement is a significant step towards protecting your financial future and ensuring peace of mind for both you and your spouse

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Temporary Guardianship of a Minor

If your children will be in the care of someone else, you should assign Temporary Guardianship.

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Temporary Guardianship of Pets

If you intend to be out of town without your loved pets, you should assign Temporary Guardianship

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Wills and Trusts

Protecting Your Assets and Ensuring Your Legacy

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Why Allison Kierman?

Experienced and Trusted: Over a decade of practice in the Phoenix and Scottsdale area, with a focus on wills, trusts, estate processes, and probate litigation.
Personalized Service: Offers tailored solutions for families, understanding the complexities and sensitivities involved in estate planning while ensuring clients receive individual attention.
Comprehensive Support: Collaborates with financial planners, accountants, and other advisors to offer comprehensive planning for asset distribution, minimizing taxes, and protecting assets,
Community-Oriented: Actively involved in numerous community organizations, reflecting her dedication to service and leadership.
Family-Centric Approach: As a mother and pet owner, Allison empathizes with clients’ needs for family and pet estate planning.

I was referred to Allison Kierman and was so thrilled to work with her. It was a great experience for me to speak with someone so knowledgeable and professional and answering all my questions every step of the way. Everything was explained to me and I clearly understood any additional responsibilities on my part. I would look forward to working with Allison in the future. A 5-star experience, hands down.
Sonja C.
Outstanding experience using Kierman Law. Very experienced, insightful and pleasant Trust and Will Lawyer. Turn around time on drafts was timely. Business is well run with an organized office headed up by a competent Paralegal. With astute legal guidance, Allison resolved a potential expense error in an existing Trust I had. The final project was delivered in a well organized document.
Randy C.
We recently decided to redo our revocable trust created three decades ago. Ms. Kierman is not only an outstanding individual, she is an exceptional attorney. Having interacted with far too many attorneys in our careers, we were especially honored to work with such a trustworthy, competent and thoughtful individual. Allison Kierman is the attorney you want to establish your legal plans.
Tom and Bo
When I was a practicing attorney, I took part in many real estate closing transactions. Allison is one of the most organized, patient, and diligent attorneys that I have ever seen. The process of estate planning with Allison was clearly explained, smoothly orchestrated, and completed in a timely manner.
VS
We had the pleasure of working with Allison Kierman to create our will and trust. We were overwhelmed on what we needed to do and where to start. Allison walked us through every step and explained each thing we needed to think about and plan. She gave us time to discuss what we wanted and there was never any pressure to hurry up and decide. She was very flexible to work with and made it so easy to meet and create our plan.
Jeff and Karen M.
We went to Kierman Law to establish a trust and are very happy we did. Allison handled matters professionally and efficiently. We required only a few meetings, with draft documents sent electronically in-between that we could read over carefully on our own. She answered all the questions we had, in-person and via email, and walked us through the nuanced issues. I highly recommend Kierman Law.
Seth Pruitt
Allison is a very professional and very well mannered lawyer. I had family emergencies and work priorities I needed to attend to and she was always so accommodating. Meeting with her was a very pleasant experience and a learning experience as well. She allowed my daughter who lives in Kentucky to be in the conversation through facetime. She patiently addressed our questions and concerns and made sure we understood everything.
Susan Roman
Our experience at Kierman Law was beyond expectations. Every question was answered, we were guided with exceptional knowledge and expertise which made us have great trust in the relationship.
We were treated respectfully and our meetings were casual and comfortable. The staff was helpful and accommodating. We would highly recommend Kierman Law.
Holley Mackey
Allison is truly exceptional to work with. Her expertise and professionalism shine through in every interaction. She has a remarkable ability to demystify the intricate world of trust establishment. Allison used clear and concise language that removed any confusion or apprehension. She patiently answered all our questions and ensured we felt confident in every decision we made regarding our trusts.
T. Bradley Millner
I cannot speak highly enough of Allison Kierman. Within half an hour of meeting her, she proposed a plan that my dad was comfortable with and did so in a way that made sense. She answered our questions and made sure that the new plan was in line with his wishes. She did all this while treating him kindly and with respect. Most of all, she LISTENED to us It’s a bit of a cliche’ but you don’t need to look any further.
K W
Outstanding experience using Kierman Law. Very experienced, insightful and pleasant Trust and Will Lawyer. Turn around time on drafts was timely. Business is well run with an organized office headed up by a competent Paralegal. With astute legal guidance, Allison resolved a potential expense error in an existing Trust I had. The final project was delivered in a well organized document.
Randy C.
We recently had our will and trust updated by Kierman Law and were pleased with the entire process. Allison explained legal terms in everyday language we could understand and anticipated every possible future scenario. She is professional but very down to earth. The signing was fast and efficient, and it was wonderful to receive our organized binder of documents. We have tremendous peace of mind now that it’s all done.
Germaine Cabe
I recently enlisted the services of Allison Kierman for estate planning. She has created a very organized and thorough information-gathering process, which also provided me with alternate ways to think about my estate and the manner in which I wanted to ensure my plans were handled. Her knowledge and demeanor provided a very comfortable environment that made it easy to openly ask questions and discuss concerns.
Sherrie Clark

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Scottsdale Estate Planning FAQs

A will is a document where you name a personal representative or executor. Wills name the person who collects all of your accounts and property, pays your outstanding debts, and distributes your money and property to those you have named, specify who will receive your accounts and property, and name a guardian for any minor children.

A living will, also known as an advance directive, is your lesson plan for communicating your specific wishes regarding end-of-life decisions. Carefully considering your desires regarding life-prolonging procedures and clearly communicating them to your chosen medical decision-maker is imperative

A revocable living trust (RLT) is a trust you create during your lifetime. You can change this trust at any time until you become incapacitated (unable to make your own decisions) or die. An irrevocable trust is a type of trust that cannot be modified or revoked once it is created. This means that once assets are placed into the trust, they are no longer considered the property of the grantor and cannot be taken back

A revocable living trust is a great foundational tool to save time and money and maintain your and your loved ones’ privacy after you become incapacitated or die. However, because you, as trustmaker, would typically serve as the initial trustee and have the power to change or revoke the trust, there is little that can be done to shelter the trust’s accounts and property from your personal creditors. The trust is merely an extension of you.

If you are concerned about protecting your accounts and property from your creditors or lawsuits, there are other types of trusts that can be used. These trusts would typically have someone else act as trustee and restrict the amount of authority you have to manage the trust’s accounts and property. In some cases, the trust may even restrict your ability to benefit from the trust’s property. Protecting your accounts and property usually requires that you give up control, so you must think carefully before implementing this type of strategy. It is also important to note that if you know that you will be a party to a lawsuit or have a creditor trying to collect a debt, it is too late to move money and property into a trust. Asset protection tools need to be put in place before any troubles occur, or else you could be guilty of making a fraudulent transfer in an attempt to defraud creditors.

Yes, you can include pets in your estate plan. It’s important to determine who will care for your pets and to decide if you need to set aside funds to care for your pets as well.

Selecting a caregiver for your children in case you are unable to do so is a tough decision. While no one can match your love for your kids, it is important for you to choose their guardian rather than leaving it up to a judge. If you do not designate a guardian, the judge will decide based on state law and the guardian’s courtroom demeanor, lacking the personal knowledge you possess about the potential guardian.

When picking a guardian and alternate guardians, think about if they share your beliefs regarding religion, do they have experience raising children, can they handle the financial and time commitments, do they have the physical health and stamina to take on this responsibility, and if your children will have to move to a different state.

An ethical will is a document that explains why you have made estate plans the way you have. It is not a legally binding document, it is not used in probate court, nor does it divide your assets the way you want. It is mearly an expression of your wishes and your intentions.

After you have finished your estate plans you need to keep the original ink signed document, especially if you are going to have to probate the will. For trusts or powers of attorney, you can function with an executed copy.

We have offices in Scottsdale and Chandler and service the entire Valley area.

A Scottsdale estate planning attorney helps you create legal documents such as wills, trusts, powers of attorney, and healthcare directives to protect your assets and ensure your wishes are carried out. Working with a local Scottsdale estate planning lawyer ensures your plan complies with Arizona law and reflects your specific needs.

Many Scottsdale residents benefit from having both a will and a revocable living trust. A trust can help avoid probate, provide privacy, and simplify the transfer of assets, while a will ensures guardianship for minor children and covers any assets not placed in a trust.

The most effective way to avoid probate in Scottsdale is by creating a revocable living trust and properly funding it. A Scottsdale trust attorney can guide you through the process to ensure your assets transfer smoothly to your beneficiaries.

You should review your estate plan every 3–5 years or after major life events such as marriage, divorce, having children, or acquiring significant assets.

Contact a Scottsdale Estate Planning Attorney

Contact us today to schedule a consultation with Scottsdale estate planning attorney Allison Kierman to help you secure your family’s future.

Scottsdale Estate Planning Attorney

Guiding Scottsdale Families Through Every Step of Estate Planning

Top Rated Estate Planning Attorney in Scottsdale

Scottsdale Estate Planning Services

Asset Protection

Business Planning

Elder Law

Financial Directives

Medical Directives

Prenuptial Agreements

Temporary Guardianship of a Minor

Temporary Guardianship of Pets

Wills and Trusts

Why Allison Kierman?

Latest Updates

October 14, 2026

Essential Wills for Unmarried Mothers

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Allison Kierman on The Probate Nation: An Overview of Arizona Probate

October 8, 2026

Inherited IRAs and the 10-Year Rule: Why Your Beneficiary Designation Matters

Affiliations and Awards

Scottsdale Estate Planning FAQs

Contact a Scottsdale Estate Planning Attorney