Personal representatives (i.e., executors and administrators of the estate) are required to provide beneficiaries and other interested parties (i.e., persons or entities with a financial stake in the estate) with financial information about the estate they are overseeing.
When someone dies, their beneficiaries have up to two years to open probate. Once probate is opened, there aren't any time limits that will cause the case to expire.
As long as there aren't any contests to the will or objections to the executor's actions, the executor will be allowed to settle the estate at the conclusion of the four-month waiting period. That means an executor who is on top of their responsibilities could theoretically wrap up probate in as little as four months.
If the decedent names a personal representative in their last will and testament, they're referred to as an executor. If the decedent did not have a will, or if the will was invalidated, the court will appoint an administrator to serve as personal representative.
That is accomplished by filing with the local Probate Court a pleading called an Application for Informal Probate of Will and Appointment of Personal Representative. Alternatively, in the case of an intestate decedent, the pleading is called an Application for Informal Appointment of Personal Representative.
Each situation is different and some estates may be more complex than others, such as estates where real estate and other assets were bought or sold before distribution to the beneficiaries. However, the average trust should be fully distributed within 12 to 18 months once the trust administration has begun.
There may be additional hearings to resolve contests, and the executor will probably need court approval before making major decisions and actions. Informal probate is obviously the quickest and can conclude in 4 – 6 months. Formal probate may take up to a year or longer.
Any interested person may file a petition with the Superior Court to initiate an Arizona formal probate. A petition for a formal probate may be filed even if an informal probate was previously opened.
Is It Possible for Probate Assets to Bypass Probate Court? The state of Arizona allows small estates to transfer probate assets outside of probate court under the following conditions: The decedent's personal property is less than $75,000. The decadent's real property is less than $100,000.
In Arizona, probate is always required for wills and assets that aren't in a trust or included in a transfer-on-death deed. Probate is also required for large estates consisting of personal property valued at over $75,000 and real estate property valued at over $100,000.