Statute of Limitations for Legal Malpractice in Arizona

Overview

In Arizona, legal malpractice claims are governed by a statute of limitations (SOL)—a deadline for filing a lawsuit. If you miss that deadline, the court will generally bar the claim, even if the underlying facts seem compelling.

DocketMath’s statute-of-limitations calculator helps you translate Arizona’s time rules into a concrete “last day to file” date based on the event date you choose (and, where applicable, the date you learned of the issue). This article focuses on Arizona’s general/default SOL period for claims framed as legal malpractice, using the statutory period reflected in A.R.S. § 13-107(A).

Limitation period

Default Arizona deadline (general rule)

The jurisdiction data specifies:

• General SOL Period: 2 years
• General Statute: **A.R.S. § 13-107(A)

In plain terms, the general rule is a 2-year window to bring the claim.

What date starts the clock?

Arizona’s SOL frameworks frequently involve a “trigger” date—often tied to when the alleged injury occurred and/or when the claimant discovered (or reasonably should have discovered) the problem. However, this specific page is constrained to the general/default period (2 years) and the general statute listed above.

To avoid building an incorrect timeline, DocketMath’s calculator is designed so you can:

• choose the event date you want to measure from, and
• optionally adjust based on discovery timing if your inputs reflect that fact pattern.

Because statute-of-limitations rules can be fact-sensitive, use the calculator as a planning tool—not as a substitute for case-specific legal analysis.

How the output changes with different inputs

Your calculator results will shift based on what you enter:

• If you enter an earlier event/knowledge date: the deadline will move earlier.
• If you enter a later event/knowledge date: the deadline will move later.
• If you switch the “measure-from” date in the calculator: you change the baseline from which the 2-year period is computed.

A practical way to use the tool:

1. Identify the first date you can reasonably point to for when the issue occurred.
2. Separately identify the first date you can reasonably point to for when you learned (or should have learned) the issue.
3. Run both dates through DocketMath to see a range of potential deadlines.
4. Treat the earlier deadline as a conservative target if you’re planning urgent next steps.

Key exceptions

No claim-type-specific sub-rule was found in the provided jurisdiction data, so this section does not list malpractice-specific exception categories (for example, special accrual rules tailored to professional negligence). Instead, here are the exceptions that commonly matter in SOL analysis, with a key limitation: this page does not confirm which exceptions apply to Arizona legal malpractice specifically, beyond the general SOL period stated.

Common exception categories to watch in Arizona SOL problems:

• Tolling (pauses or extends the limitations period due to particular circumstances)
• Accrual adjustments (when the clock starts, such as discovery-related triggers)
• Fraudulent concealment (when the defendant’s conduct prevents discovery of the claim)
• Incapacity (situations involving legal disability that may delay accrual or toll time)

Pitfall: assuming “2 years” is the whole story

If you’re evaluating deadlines, consider collecting the timeline documents that support your chosen trigger date:

• engagement agreement / scope of representation (where relevant)
• communications (emails, letters, filings)
• dates you learned facts connecting the conduct to harm
• dates of adverse outcomes (e.g., dismissal, judgment, missed deadlines)

These items don’t change the statute itself, but they make your chosen input date defensible.

Statute citation

The general/default period used in this page is:

• A.R.S. § 13-107(A)
• General SOL Period: 2 years
• Source (jurisdiction data reference): https://www.findlaw.com/state/arizona-law/arizona-criminal-statute-of-limitations-laws.html?utm_source=openai

Reminder: The jurisdiction data provided here explicitly states there was no claim-type-specific sub-rule found, so this page treats the 2-year period as the general/default deadline.

Use the calculator

You can calculate a deadline directly with DocketMath:

• Primary CTA: **Open the statute-of-limitations calculator

Inputs to consider

When you use the calculator, the key inputs typically are:

• Jurisdiction: Arizona (US-AZ)
• Base period: 2 years (per the jurisdiction data)
• Measure-from date: the date you choose as the trigger (event date and/or discovery/knowledge date)

Output you’ll get

After you enter your measure-from date(s), DocketMath will compute the end of the 2-year SOL window. If you run multiple dates, compare outcomes:

• Earlier calculated deadline: safer planning target
• Later calculated deadline: reflects a discovery/timing choice that may or may not match your facts

Quick “range” workflow (practical)

• Run the calculator using:

  • Date A: when the underlying issue occurred (earliest plausible baseline)
  • Date B: when you discovered the issue (later baseline)
• Pick the earlier deadline for decision-making.

Related reading

• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Vermont — Tool comparison
• Statute of limitations in Singapore: how to estimate the deadline — How-to guide
• Choosing the right statute of limitations tool for Connecticut — Tool comparison