How much does probate cost in Arizona?

The short answer

Arizona does not set probate fees by statute. Costs depend on the attorney’s billing arrangement, the type of administration, and the size and complexity of the estate. Here’s what to expect, and the ways many families avoid full probate entirely.

Attorney fees

Not statutory. Arizona is a Uniform Probate Code state, so there is no fixed percentage. Attorneys charge an hourly rate or a flat fee for routine work, and the fee must be 'reasonable.' A.R.S. §14-3721 lets any interested person ask the court to review the reasonableness of the personal representative's or attorney's compensation, and A.R.S. §14-3720 allows reasonable attorney fees and expenses for a representative who prosecutes or defends a proceeding in good faith.

Executor / personal representative fees

Not statutory. Under A.R.S. §14-3719, the personal representative is entitled to 'reasonable compensation' for services — Arizona has no California-style percentage schedule. Reasonableness is judged on the size and complexity of the estate and the time and skill involved; family representatives often waive the fee.

What the fee is based on

Arizona uses a 'reasonable compensation' standard rather than a percentage of the estate, and most estates qualify for informal, unsupervised administration. Fees therefore track the work performed rather than a percentage of the estate, as they do in statutory-fee states such as California.

Court filing fees

A.R.S. §12-284(A) sets the Superior Court fee for an application for informal probate or informal appointment at $149. On top of that, the presiding judge of a superior court may add up to $15 for document and digital evidence storage (A.R.S. §12-284.01(C)), and the Arizona Supreme Court may raise the §12-284(A) fees by the annual change in the consumer price index (A.R.S. §12-284(L)). What a county clerk actually charges therefore varies by county and by the Supreme Court's current adjusted schedule; $149 is the statewide statutory base. Add publication of the notice to creditors and certified copies.

Appraisal / probate referee

How long probate takes in Arizona

We found no published source for how long probate takes in Arizona as of September 2026. No Arizona court publishes case-duration data, and the ranges that circulate come from law firms and from sites paid to refer customers to them, so none is cited here. The statutory floor is the creditor period: Four months after the first publication of notice to creditors (or 60 days after mailed notice to a known creditor, whichever is later), under A.R.S. §14-3801 and §14-3803.

Creditor claim period

Four months after the first publication of notice to creditors (or 60 days after mailed notice to a known creditor, whichever is later), under A.R.S. §14-3801 and §14-3803. In practice, this window is often the real floor on how quickly an estate can close, because the personal representative usually waits it out before making final distributions.

How to skip full probate (or shrink the bill)

• Small-estate procedure. Effective September 26, 2025 (HB 2116), the small-estate affidavit limits under A.R.S. §14-3971 are $200,000 for personal property, collectible by affidavit thirty days after death under §14-3971(B), and $300,000 for the decedent's interest in real property, by affidavit of succession not sooner than six months after death under §14-3971(E). §14-3971(E) measures that interest from the full cash value shown on the assessment rolls for the year of death, less liens and encumbrances against the real property — not from the owner's equity. The prior limits were $75,000 and $100,000.
• Real-property shortcut. The decedent's interest in real property of $300,000 or less can transfer outside formal probate by affidavit of succession under A.R.S. §14-3971(E), filed not sooner than six months after death. The $300,000 is measured on the full cash value shown on the assessment rolls for the year of death, less liens and encumbrances against the real property.
• Transfer-on-death deed. Arizona allows a beneficiary deed (its form of transfer-on-death deed) for real estate under A.R.S. §33-405. The owner records a deed naming a grantee beneficiary before death; the owner keeps full control and can revoke it any time, and the property passes to the beneficiary at death outside probate.
• A funded living trust. Assets in a properly funded revocable living trust skip probate entirely. The successor trustee distributes them privately, usually in a month or two.
• Beneficiary designations and joint ownership. Life insurance, retirement accounts, payable-on-death (POD) accounts, and jointly held property pass directly to the named person and never enter probate.
• Family member as executor. When a relative serves as executor, they can often waive the commission — meaningfully cutting the total bill.

Whether representation is required in Arizona

Arizona does not require an estate to be represented by counsel in every proceeding; the court’s self-help materials set out where a personal representative may file without an attorney. Full probate carries formal filing requirements and statutory deadlines, and estates qualifying for a small-estate or summary procedure follow a shorter track with lower filing costs. Legal document preparers operate in some states at a flat fee, subject to state rules on unauthorised practice.

What the record shows

Probate cost in Arizona is the sum of separately-set components: statutory or court-approved attorney fees, executor commissions, court filing fees, and appraisal costs. Each is documented above with its citation.

Assets that pass outside probate — by beneficiary designation, joint ownership with survivorship, transfer-on-death instrument, or a funded living trust — are not part of the estate these fees are calculated on. Arizona’s small-estate threshold, above, determines which estates can use the simplified procedure.

Frequently asked questions about probate cost in Arizona

How much does probate cost in Arizona?

Arizona does not set probate fees by statute. It is a Uniform Probate Code state where most estates use informal probate. The Superior Court fee for an application for informal probate or informal appointment has a statewide statutory base of $149 (A.R.S. §12-284(A)); the presiding judge may add up to $15 for document storage (A.R.S. §12-284.01(C)) and the Supreme Court may adjust the §12-284(A) fees by the annual change in the consumer price index (A.R.S. §12-284(L)). We found no published source for what probate costs in total in Arizona as of September 2026; the ranges that are published come from law firms and from sites paid to refer customers to them.

What is the small-estate limit in Arizona?

Effective September 26, 2025 (HB 2116), the small-estate affidavit limits under A.R.S. §14-3971 are $200,000 for personal property, collectible by affidavit thirty days after death under §14-3971(B), and $300,000 for the decedent's interest in real property, by affidavit of succession not sooner than six months after death under §14-3971(E). §14-3971(E) measures that interest from the full cash value shown on the assessment rolls for the year of death, less liens and encumbrances against the real property — not from the owner's equity. The prior limits were $75,000 and $100,000.

Who pays the probate costs in Arizona?

The estate does. Attorney fees, the executor’s commission, court filing fees, and any appraisal costs are all paid out of the estate’s assets before anything is distributed to the beneficiaries — so in practice the heirs bear the cost through a smaller inheritance rather than paying out of pocket.

Can you avoid probate costs in Arizona?

Arizona offers informal probate, and A.R.S. §14-3971 sets small-estate affidavit limits of $200,000 for personal property, thirty days after death under §14-3971(B), and $300,000 for the decedent's interest in real property, not sooner than six months after death under §14-3971(E). A beneficiary deed under A.R.S. §33-405 transfers the owner's interest in real property to a named grantee beneficiary effective on the owner's death; it is valid only if executed and recorded before that death, and the owner may revoke it at any time. Payable-on-death and beneficiary designations pass the accounts they name outside probate. A trust operates on the assets retitled into it.

How long does probate take in Arizona?

We found no published source for how long probate takes in Arizona as of September 2026. No Arizona court publishes case-duration data, and the ranges that circulate come from law firms and from sites paid to refer customers to them, so none is cited here. The statutory floor is the creditor period: Four months after the first publication of notice to creditors (or 60 days after mailed notice to a known creditor, whichever is later), under A.R.S. §14-3801 and §14-3803. The deadlines that run alongside it: How Long Does Probate Take in Arizona?.

Related reading

• What Is Probate and How Does It Work? — the full plain-English explanation of how probate works in the US.

• How to Avoid Probate in Arizona — the state-specific avoidance playbook.

• Executor Deadlines in Arizona — the statutory dates the executor works to, quoted from Ariz. Rev. Stat. §14-3801(A)–(B).

• How Long Does Probate Take in Arizona? — the companion timeline guide for Arizona.

• Will vs. Trust: How They Differ — the documented differences between the two instruments.

• Estate Planning Checklist: Everything in One Place — the documents and decisions that determine what passes through probate.

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This page explains Arizona probate costs in general terms as of 2026. It is not legal advice, and fee schedules, thresholds, and court costs change and depend on your specific situation. Confirm current figures with the Arizona courts or a licensed Arizona attorney. Sources: A.R.S. §14-3719, A.R.S. §14-3720, A.R.S. §14-3721, A.R.S. §14-3971, A.R.S. §14-3801, A.R.S. §14-3803, A.R.S. §33-405.