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Discover the meeting point of legal document expertise and compassion with AZ Statewide Paralegal. We extend our renowned legal document preparation knowledge towards helping individuals in Tucson and Phoenix, AZ achieve the probate services they need to pursue probate court without securing an attorney.
When it comes to probate, you have three options. You may hire an attorney, which can result in a highly expensive venture, you can handle matters yourself at the risk of overlooking detrimental components in the probate process, or you can streamline and simplify your probate preparation and documents by hiring our team, certified by the Supreme Court of Arizona.
AZ Statewide Paralegal takes pride in our comprehensive approach to probate services. While we cannot legally represent you, we handle just about every other facet of the probate process, ensuring an organized and efficient process. We prepare, file, and process all of your probate documents from start to finish. We will secure Letters of Testamentary, serve notice to all involved parties, and file the proper documents to distribute property and close the estate.
For those who have been informed that they must provide Letters of Testamentary to confirm their authority to conduct business for the estate, we have you covered. We will obtain your Letters of Testamentary and prepare the proper documents to transfer property from the decedent to the heirs in accordance with their Last Will and Testament or the laws of intestate succession.
The probate process involves five steps. These steps include, opening probate, publishing notice, preparing inventory of assets and debts, distribution of property, and closing the estate. When you choose AZ Statewide Paralegal for your probate services, you can anticipate a five-step process completed with the utmost diligence, personalization, and professionalism. Our documents are not fill-in-the-blank forms or checklists. We provide highly customized documents that uniquely pertain to your case, eliminating any extraneous information that does not apply to you. Furthermore, our documents are made on pleading paper, the same paper used by an attorney.
The first step in the probate process is to open probate. This involves gathering the right information and beginning the preparation of probate documents, ensuring all involved parties receive copies in accordance with Arizona Probate Code. Each document is prepared in duplicate. The original copies are filed with the court and the second set is for you to keep once they have been date stamped. The documents required to open probate include:
The probate process requires publishing a notice in the newspaper. Our experts will handle publishing notice on your behalf and provide the court with an affidavit as proof of publication. In addition, we will provide all involved parties a notice of informal appointment. The documents we prepare during this phase of probate include:
The third step in the probate process involves taking inventory of the assets and debts of the estate. During this part of the process, we prepare the Inventory and Appraisement document on your behalf. This is one of the most instrumental components in the probate process, as any error or missed step has the potential to cause significant delays in finalizing your probate case.
Four months from the initial publication date, the property distribution of the estate may begin, so long as there are no creditors making a claim on the estate. Without creditor claims, we will move on to preparing and filing the Proposal for Distribution of property. Once complete, we will mail copies to the involved parties and prepare and file the Deed of Distribution, establishing record with the Recorder’s office.
Once the above-mentioned steps have been satisfied and all required legal documentation has been provided, it will be time to close the estate. The judge will sign the closing documents one year from the date that we lodge the closing statement and a Certificate of Registrar will be sent to you by mail. This document releases you from your duties as Personal Representative and signals the conclusion of probate. During the closing of probate, our experts will handle several documents on your behalf, including:
Eliminate the guesswork of managing probate alone and the heavy expenditure of securing an attorney and instead, look to AZ Statewide Paralegal for comprehensive probate services. We’re here to help you satisfy your probate documentation needs with confidence and compassion, ensuring a smooth and hassle-free probate process. Contact our trusted experts today to schedule an in-person initial meeting with our team.
Probate is a legal process in which the court appoints a personal representative of the estate of a person who has died and if there is a Last Will and Testament, probate finds the Will is valid and admits it into probate. That personal representative is responsible for:
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Probate is not always necessary when a person dies. If someone dies with no assets or if all assets automatically transfer ownership at death, so that no assets remain titled in the name of the deceased, a probate may not be necessary. The only remaining reason for a probate would be to give notice to the deceased’s creditors.
AZ Statewide Paralegal offers professional legal document preparation services, including document preparation and service for wills, trusts, and probate. We can help you prepare documents so that your loved ones can avoid the probate process and we can help you with the documents involved in probate. Contact our office in Tucson, Phoenix, or Mesa today so that we can walk you through the document preparation services we offer.
Before we describe the probate process, here are some relevant definitions:
Arizona Statutes require that a personal representative be appointed to administer the probate. Administration of an estate includes filing a verified statement, publishing notice to creditors and giving other notice as required, making distributions, filing receipts, paying taxes, and closing the estate according to law.
Arizona probate is a five-step process. The details of each process step may vary depending on the particular situation, but in general probate involves opening probate, providing notice, conducting an inventory, distributing property, and closing probate.
Step 1: Open Probate
If a probate is required, the “petitioner” (usually an heir, but not always) prepares and files a probate petition with the Arizona Superior Court in the county in which the decedent lived. Arizona Revised Statutes Section 14-3301.A provides that an “Informal probate or informal appointment may be made only by application of one of the following:
Step 2: Notice
The petitioner is required to file notice with interested parties, including any personal representative of the decedent, heirs, creditors, and others, depending on the situation. Arizona law has requirements for how this notice must be communicated.
Step 3: Inventory
An inventory of all the assets and debts of the estate must be prepared.
Step 4: Distribution
Four months from the first date of publication you may begin the distribution of the estate, so long as there are no creditors making a claim on it.
Step 5: Closing the Estate
Once all valid claims have been paid and the property of the estate has been distributed, it is time to close the estate.
Probate Forms
The probate process requires significant documentation. Pima County Superior Court lists the forms required in an ordinary probate as [sc.pima.gov]:
When you choose AZ Statewide Paralegal to assist you with your probate document needs, we will support your probate process every step of the way with the right documents, filled out and filed correctly and on time. We make sure that all interested parties obtain copies of all the documents they are entitled to receive according to the Arizona Probate Code so you don’t have to worry.
Our documents are not fill-in-the-blank forms or check-the-box forms. They are personalized to your case and do not contain any extraneous information that does not apply to your particular case.
We will handle publishing a notice in the newspaper and make sure that the Court receives an affidavit as proof of publication. We also make sure all interested parties receive a Notice of Informal Appointment. Later, we prepare and file the Proposal for Distribution, mail copies to interested parties, prepare and file the Deed of Distribution and record it with the Recorder’s Office.
AZ Statewide Paralegal has decades of experience preparing documents for proceedings in Arizona. By using our service you can avoid the expense of a high priced attorney. There is no need to worry about deadlines and properly completing the forms. We know what to ask and provide this service to hundreds of clients each year. Contact our office in Tucson, Phoenix, or Mesa today so that we can walk you through the probate document preparation services we offer. Click here to schedule an appointment.
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Evenings by Appointments only.
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