Requesting Letters of Testamentary The person acting as the executor of the estate must petition the court to request the letter of testamentary. After they file the necessary documents, the probate court checks them to ensure compliance and authenticate the will.
Opening Probate While some states allow up to six years to probate an estate, the state of Arizona will only accept probate cases that are opened within two years of the decedent's passing (ARS 14-3108).
Probate Shortcuts in Arizona ValueOther Requirements Personal Property < $75,000 No ongoing formal probate Real Estate <$100,000 No personal representative appointed (or active during the last year)
In Arizona, testamentary capacity has three elements: the ability to understand (1) the extent of their assets, (2) the natural beneficiaries of their estate, and (3) the implications of their decisions on the distribution of their property upon death.
While Arizona law does not mandate hiring a probate attorney, the assistance they provide can be highly beneficial. Probate can be time-consuming, detail-oriented, and occasionally contentious.
Case initiating documents and subsequent filings for probate case types must be filed in-person, by mail, or via a filing depository box. The ability to eFile probate case documents is currently not available for Maricopa County, but is expected in the near future.