Phelps LaClair

What Phelps LaClair does

Phelps LaClair, PLC is a second-generation estate planning law firm headquartered in Mesa, Arizona, founded in 1980 by Stephen Phelps and now led by managing partner James Phelps with co-counsel Jeffrey LaClair. The firm delivers bespoke estate planning services to individuals, families, and small business owners across Arizona, with core offerings spanning living trusts, wills, estate tax planning, probate and estate administration, trust administration, special needs trusts, pet trusts, powers of attorney, LLC formation, and living wills/medical directives. Its underlying technology footprint is essentially non-existent beyond a content website, blog, and webinar infrastructure, and the firm explicitly positions itself as a relationship-led, hands-on practice rather than a high-volume document preparation service; its competitive narrative rests on having personally administered hundreds of trusts after clients' deaths, which it uses as a differentiating implementation-experience signal.

The business model is a traditional professional services fee-for-engagement model with a free 90-minute initial consultation as the lead-conversion mechanism. Phelps LaClair runs sales-led, direct-to-consumer go-to-market anchored by free seminars/webinars (e.g., 'Top 7/Top 10 Estate Planning Mistakes'), an active blog, organic search, and client and professional referrals (financial advisors, insurance agents). Distribution is regional Arizona-only, executed through 9 physical offices across Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, Glendale, Goodyear, Surprise, Tucson, Sedona, and Payson, supported by phone and website-scheduled consultations. The firm is privately held by the founding Phelps family with no external investment, no subsidiaries, no disclosed M&A activity, and no patents or proprietary technology, operating with a 1-10 employee headcount in a mature, stable configuration rather than a high-growth venture profile.

Name

Phelps LaClair

Legal name

Phelps LaClair, PLC

Website

https://plestateplanning.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Phelps LaClair is a second-generation, Arizona-based estate planning law firm delivering living trusts, wills, probate, trust administration, and LLC formation services to individuals, families, and small business owners across 9 state offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Estate Planning Legal Services

NAICS

Legal Services (5411)

SIC

Services-Legal Services (8111)

akta.pro primary industry

Estate & Probate Administration Services (FSAEAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Estate Administration & Probate Services (FSAAANAE)

Keywords

• Estate planning services
• Living trust administration
• Probate law services
• Estate tax planning
• Special needs trusts

Headquarters

HQ city

Mesa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Estate Planning Legal Services: Professional legal services for estate planning including living trusts, wills, probate, and estate administration. Fees are described as predictable and fair, with free initial consultations offered.
2. LLC Formation Services: Business entity formation services including LLC creation, management, and ongoing compliance for Arizona businesses.
3. Trust Administration: Ongoing trust administration services for clients who have established trusts through the firm.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Phelps LaClair is a second-generation Arizona estate planning law firm that drafts and administers wills, living trusts, and related documents for individuals, families, and small business owners. Its core work covers avoiding probate, minimizing estate taxes, protecting assets from creditors, and providing for loved ones (including special needs beneficiaries and pets). Engagements are delivered through direct attorney-client engagements at nine Arizona offices, supported by a free 90-minute initial consultation and free educational webinars.

Product overview

Phelps LaClair is a second-generation estate planning law firm offering a comprehensive suite of legal services focused on wills, trusts, and asset protection. The firm operates as a unified practice centered on estate planning, with core services including Living Wills & Trusts, Trust Administration, Probate Law, Estate Tax Planning, Special Needs Trusts, Pet Trusts, Power of Attorney, and LLC Formation. Additional offerings include free educational seminars, webinars, and initial consultations. The firm serves clients across multiple Arizona locations including Mesa, Chandler, Scottsdale, Phoenix, Glendale, Tucson, Sedona, Payson, Goodyear, and Surprise.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Estate Planning Comprehensive estate planning services covering creation and management of wills, trusts, and supporting documents to protect client assets, minimize taxes, avoid probate, and ensure proper distribution to beneficiaries. Designed for Arizona individuals, families, and small business owners.
• Living Wills and Trusts Creation and management of living trusts and wills to help clients avoid probate and protect their assets during their lifetime and after death.
• Trust Administration Professional administration and management of trusts, including successor trustee services and ensuring proper distribution of trust assets to beneficiaries.
• Probate Law and Estate Administration Legal representation and guidance through the probate process for executors and beneficiaries, helping them navigate estate administration efficiently.
• Estate Tax Planning Strategic planning to minimize estate taxes and preserve wealth for beneficiaries through various trust structures and tax-efficient strategies, including protective inheritance trusts and the IRA inheritance trust.
• Special Needs Trusts Specialized trust planning for individuals with special needs to ensure proper care and asset protection without jeopardizing eligibility for means-tested government benefits.
• Pet Trusts Legal arrangements to ensure proper care and funding for pets after the owner's death or incapacity.
• Living Wills and Medical Directives Advance directives and living wills that communicate end-of-life medical care preferences and designate healthcare decision-makers, including healthcare and financial powers of attorney.
• LLC Formation and Planning Formation and estate planning integration of Limited Liability Companies for asset protection, lawsuit protection, business succession, and trust ownership of business interests.

Quantifiable outcome

• Probate fees can consume up to 7% of estate value - proper trust planning avoids these costs

Named customers8 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• LegalZoom: Online legal services platform offering wills, living trusts, LLC formation, and estate planning documents at significantly lower price points than traditional law firms. Directly competes with Phelps LaClair for middle-market estate planning clients, particularly younger and price-sensitive households.
• Rocket Lawyer: Subscription-based online legal services platform providing wills, LLC formation, and estate planning documents. Offers an attorney network for higher-touch matters, putting it in direct competition with Phelps LaClair for SMB and individual clients.
• Trust & Will: Online estate planning platform specializing in wills, living trusts, and estate plans with a modern digital experience. Competes with Phelps LaClair on the same core service categories (living trusts, wills, beneficiary designations) with a low-cost, self-service model.

Emerging players

• Vanilla: Estate planning software platform for financial advisors offering wills, trusts, and estate documents with modern digital workflows. Comparable to Phelps LaClair's core service set but delivered through a software-enabled advisor channel rather than direct-attorney engagement.
• Wealth.com: Estate planning technology platform serving financial advisors with digital estate planning tools. Represents the technology-enabled competitive model that traditional firms like Phelps LaClair lack and could face disintermediation from as advisor channels consolidate estate planning decisions.
• FreeWill: Free online will-creation platform with partnerships to nonprofits and financial institutions. While not a full estate planning competitor, it lowers the entry barrier for simple wills and could divert budget-constrained prospects from Phelps LaClair's funnel.

Broad incumbents

• BNY Wealth Management: Major wealth management division providing estate planning, trust services, and private wealth advisory to high-net-worth and ultra-high-net-worth clients. Adjacent competitor for estate planning mandates above Phelps LaClair's typical client size.
• Fidelity Wealth Services: Large brokerage and wealth management firm offering estate planning guidance, beneficiary services, and trust products as part of a broader investment platform. Competes indirectly for retirement-account-driven estate planning clients in Arizona's retiree-heavy markets.
• Northern Trust: Large wealth management and trust company offering comprehensive estate planning, trust administration, and wealth advisory services to high-net-worth clients. Represents a higher-end competitor that competes for affluent Arizona clients Phelps LaClair might otherwise serve.

Others

• WealthCounsel: Member network and document drafting system for estate planning attorneys. Phelps LaClair's James Phelps is a WealthCounsel member; the firm is comparable as part of the same professional ecosystem and represents the broader community of estate planning attorneys Phelps LaClair competes with and learns from.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Phelps LaClair