Start with your home's recorded deed.
Being married does not, by itself, tell you how a particular home will pass after one spouse passes away. The deed, the nature of each spouse's ownership, and any estate planning documents all matter. Irma's video asks you to check those details while you can discuss them together.
A mortgage statement shows a loan, and a tax bill helps identify a property. Neither replaces a review of the recorded deed. Bring the deed and any later transfers to your meeting so we can discuss the ownership language rather than rely on memory.
Read the ownership words together.
Arizona recognizes ownership arrangements with an express right of survivorship. For example, a deed may describe joint tenancy with right of survivorship or community property with right of survivorship. Under A.R.S. 33-431, that wording can affect how an owner's interest passes to a surviving owner.
A deed that lists two names deserves a closer look. Ask what interests each person holds, whether survivorship applies, and what records a survivor would need. You should understand the effect of the current deed before signing a replacement or adding another person.
Include your home's history.
Tell us when you bought the home and how you acquired it. Arizona's separate-property statute addresses property owned before marriage and property received by gift or inheritance. Later agreements, payments, or title changes can raise further questions that a short video cannot resolve.
For example, a Scottsdale homeowner may have bought a house before marrying and later refinanced it with a spouse. That family should bring both the deed and the loan records. We can discuss which documents answer the ownership question and which details need further review.
Match the deed to your family plan.
Your goal might be to leave a home to your spouse, provide for children, or balance both wishes. A clear plan starts by naming that goal and checking whether your documents support it. Write down who you want to receive the home and who should handle the paperwork.
A blended family needs particular care. Arizona's rules for a surviving spouse's inheritance can differ when a person leaves children who are not also the surviving spouse's children. Avoid assuming that every married household has the same inheritance result.
Review more than the first transfer.
Discuss what should happen after the surviving spouse later passes away, too. Survivorship language addresses a transfer between owners; it does not answer every later family question. Your wills, any trust, and any other transfer documents should be reviewed together.
A home held in a trust raises another set of questions. Check who serves as trustee, who takes over if needed, and what the trust says about the home. A signed trust document alone does not show that a particular property was transferred into it.
Bring the documents behind your wishes.
For your free consultation, gather the recorded deed, any existing will or trust, and a short family outline. Include earlier marriages, children, and anyone else with an ownership interest. If you cannot find a document, tell us what is missing so we can discuss how to locate it.
We help families in English and Spanish from our Scottsdale office. Bring your questions about the deed and explain what you want your spouse and children to understand. The next step should follow your actual records, rather than a general assumption about being married.
Your questions, answered plainly.
Does marriage automatically put my spouse on my deed?
Marriage alone does not rewrite a recorded deed. Ownership rights can also involve Arizona marital-property law, so have the deed and the property's history reviewed together.
Are two names on the deed enough to show survivorship?
Read the actual ownership language. A.R.S. 33-431 addresses express survivorship arrangements; two names alone do not explain every right or the effect of later changes.
Should I add my spouse or child before the meeting?
Discuss the current deed and your goals first. Adding an owner can affect control and inheritance, and may raise tax or loan questions that need separate review.
Can we review the plan in Spanish?
Yes. This topic has both English and Spanish recordings, available through the language switch. You can also discuss your family's documents with Turquoise Law Group in either language.
Read the video transcript
Read the original spoken words
We're married, so the house belongs to both of us, right? Not necessarily. If only one spouse is listed on the property title, don't assume that the other spouse automatically has the same ownership rights to the home. The title on your house matters, and how that property is titled can affect what happens to your home when one of you passes away. That's why, as part of your complete estate plan, it's important to review how your home is titled and to make sure that your property is coordinated with your overall plan. Being married doesn't mean you can simply ignore the title of your home. Check the title, review your trust, coordinate your complete estate plan, because protecting your home starts with knowing on whose name is actually on it. Call us today at Turquoise Law Group at 480-863-6303.
Arizona sources