Serving as Trustee and wondering what you may charge?
Start the free role checkHow Arizona approaches the number
- Trust terms first. If the instrument specifies compensation, the Trustee is entitled to what it says — though a court may allow more or less if the duties turn out substantially different from those contemplated, or the specified amount is unreasonably low or high.
- If the Trust is silent: compensation reasonable under the circumstances. There is no statutory percentage for Arizona Trustees — courts weigh things like the size of the Trust, the work actually performed, the skill required, and customary charges.
- Professional help is separate: expenses properly incurred are reimbursed from the Trust (A.R.S. § 14-10709), and a change in the method or rate of your compensation is noticed to the qualified beneficiaries at least thirty days in advance (A.R.S. § 14-10813(B)(4)). Where compensation is specified, the court may allow more or less in the circumstances A.R.S. § 14-10708 states; family Trustees commonly charge modestly or waive — choices, not requirements.
- Don't confuse it with the attorney's fee. The Trustee's own compensation is governed by A.R.S. § 14-10708; the attorney the Trustee hires is paid the fee they agree — Arizona sets no presumptive attorney fee for trust administration.
The governing provisions
Compensation of trustee
A.R.S. § 14-10708 ↗Clear, simple explanation; the verbatim statute text is not yet attested in our library. See the official statute via the link above.
Duty of loyalty
A.R.S. § 14-10802 ↗Clear, simple explanation; the verbatim statute text is not yet attested in our library. See the official statute via the link above.
Discretionary powers; tax savings
A.R.S. § 14-10814 ↗Clear, simple explanation; the verbatim statute text is not yet attested in our library. See the official statute via the link above.
Why paying yourself needs care
- Paying yourself is a self-interested act by a fiduciary — the duty of loyalty (A.R.S. § 14-10802) is in the room. Document the basis, the rate, the time, and the work before the money moves.
- If you are also a beneficiary, the line between compensation and distribution matters: A.R.S. § 14-10814 limits self-dealing discretion, and compensation that looks like a disguised distribution invites challenge.
- Beneficiaries will see it: compensation appears in the Trust accounting (A.R.S. § 14-10813(C)). A number that surprises them there is how disputes start.
- TrusteeClear treats paying yourself as a gated action — the record is assembled before the payment, and a firm-supervised matter routes it to the attorney first.
General information about Arizona law, not legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
- How is an Arizona trustee paid?
- As the trust's terms specify; where they do not, the trustee is entitled to compensation that is reasonable under the circumstances (A.R.S. § 14-10708). Arizona has no fee schedule for a trustee.
- Can a court change an Arizona trustee's compensation?
- Yes. Where the terms specify it, the court may allow more or less if the duties are substantially different from those contemplated when the trust was created or the specified compensation would be unreasonably low or high (A.R.S. § 14-10708(B)); and among the remedies for a breach of trust the court may reduce or deny compensation (§ 14-11001).
- Does an Arizona trustee have to tell beneficiaries about a fee change?
- Arizona's statute provides notice to the qualified beneficiaries at least thirty days in advance of any change in the method or rate of the trustee's compensation (A.R.S. § 14-10813(B)(4)), and each trustee's report shows the source and amount of the compensation (§ 14-10813(C)).
General information about Arizona law, not legal advice.