Heir Versus Beneficiary
An heir takes by operation of law when there is no will. A beneficiary or devisee takes because they are named in a will or trust. The same person can be both, but the legal source of the right is different.
How Arizona Identifies Heirs
If there is a surviving spouse and all descendants are also descendants of that spouse, the spouse takes the entire intestate estate. Otherwise, the estate is split between the spouse and the deceased's children. Adopted children are treated as heirs of their adoptive parents under A.R.S. 14-2705. Stepchildren who were never adopted generally do not inherit by intestacy.