How to run Structured Settlement in DocketMath for Arizona

Step-by-step

Below is a practical workflow for running a Structured Settlement using DocketMath for Arizona (US-AZ), with jurisdiction-aware assumptions. This guide focuses on the tool setup and how Arizona time limits affect your inputs, not legal advice.

1) Open the Structured Settlement calculator in DocketMath

1. Open the calculator: **/tools/structured-settlement
2. In the tool, select Jurisdiction: US-AZ.

If DocketMath prompts you to confirm jurisdiction or rulesets, choose Arizona so the calculator applies US-AZ defaults (including the general SOL guidance used in this workflow).

2) Enter the settlement timeline inputs

Structured settlements depend heavily on timing—especially if you’re aligning payments with eligibility windows and modeling when enforcement assumptions may matter.

In DocketMath, you’ll typically enter fields tied to your payment schedule, such as:

• Payment schedule (lump sum vs. installments)
• Start date / payment dates
• Payment frequency (monthly/quarterly/annual)
• Number of installments (or end date)
• Discount rate / present value settings (if shown in your tool view)

Actionable tip: Set dates carefully. Even small date differences (days or months) can shift present value because discounting is time-based.

3) Apply the Arizona SOL-aware assumption (general default = 2 years)

Because this workflow uses the general/default period, apply this SOL rule as a constraint in your modeling:

• General SOL Period (default): 2 years
• Statute: **A.R.S. § 13-107(A)
• Arizona default used here: 2 years from the triggering event (your project should define the triggering event date in your own dataset)

How this affects inputs/outputs:

• If your structured settlement schedule begins after the assumed 2-year SOL window, the calculator alignment and your modeled “credible timeline” may produce a less favorable present value outcome (because more cash flow sits further in the future).
• If your schedule begins within the 2-year window, earlier payments typically receive less discounting, which often improves present value.

In short: the SOL period doesn’t change the math of discounting, but it changes which payment dates are treated as within the credible modeling window—and that can change the PV you compute.

4) Choose the payment structure and amounts

Next, configure the structure.

Common setups include:

• Upfront amount (optional)
• Periodic payments (the core stream)
• End date or installment count

Practical checklist for accuracy:

5) Set discount rate / present value settings (if available)

Structured settlement results are highly sensitive to present value settings. If DocketMath provides options like:

• Discount rate
• Inflation assumptions (if applicable)
• Day count convention (if applicable)

Use the same settings across scenarios so differences you see come from the SOL-aligned timing—not from changed assumptions.

Output behavior to expect:

• Higher discount rates → lower present value
• Later payment dates → lower present value
• More back-loaded schedules → lower present value

6) Run the calculator and review results

After you submit:

1. Review the present value (PV) total.
2. Check the cash flow timeline (if shown).
3. Scan any summary tables (often a breakdown by installment).

What to check first:

• The earliest payment date and whether it sits inside your 2-year default window
• Whether any payments fall outside your SOL-aligned modeling window
• Whether PV looks consistent with your discount rate assumption

7) Create comparison scenarios quickly (recommended)

To see how Arizona’s general SOL alignment impacts modeled outputs, run at least two scenarios:

• Scenario A: “Within 2 years”
  Payment schedule begins within the 2-year default period measured from your triggering event date.
• Scenario B: “After 2 years”
  Shift the start date beyond the 2-year window while keeping amounts and frequency consistent.

Then compare:

• Total PV
• Any summary metrics DocketMath provides (e.g., average timing, installment breakdown)

Common pitfalls

Structured settlement modeling tends to fail in predictable ways. Here are the main issues to watch when running DocketMath for US-AZ.

This workflow uses the general default 2-year period from A.R.S. § 13-107(A). No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found here, so don’t substitute a different SOL basis without a separate, verified rule.

The SOL period is measured from the relevant triggering event. If your dataset uses the wrong event date, your “within 2 years” vs. “after 2 years” comparison becomes unreliable.

If you enter “monthly” frequency but your dates aren’t actually spaced monthly, DocketMath may discount a timeline you didn’t intend—changing PV.

For SOL comparison, hold the discount rate constant. Otherwise, PV changes may be driven by rate differences instead of SOL-aligned timing.

Two schedules with similar nominal totals can produce very different PV based on the presence/absence of early cash flows.

Try it

Ready to run the Arizona structured settlement workflow in DocketMath?

1. Open the tool: **/tools/structured-settlement
2. Set:

   • Jurisdiction: US-AZ
   • SOL alignment assumption: 2 years (general/default) under **A.R.S. § 13-107(A)
3. Enter your structured payment schedule (dates + amounts).
4. Run:

   • Scenario A: within 2 years (from your triggering event date)
   • Scenario B: after 2 years
5. Compare:

   • Present value totals
   • installment timing summaries/timelines (if shown)

If results seem unexpectedly low or high, re-check:

• whether payment dates drift due to a frequency/date mismatch,
• whether you accidentally changed discount rate between scenarios,
• whether the earliest payment date is truly on the intended side of the 2-year default window.

For reference, this workflow uses Arizona’s general SOL period of 2 years, cited to A.R.S. § 13-107(A) (general SOL as summarized in the linked source).

Related reading

• Structured Settlement Calculator Guide for Alabama
• Structured Settlement Calculator Guide for Colorado
• Structured Settlement Calculator Guide for Connecticut