Why Definitions Matter More Than You Think
Legal definitions are not just technicalities. When a statute says "personal representative," it means something specific. When it says "interested person," that term has boundaries. This section establishes the precise meaning of every key word used in Title 14, from "agent" and "beneficiary" to "trust" and "will."
"Personal representative" includes an executor, an administrator, a successor personal representative, a special administrator and persons who perform substantially the same function under the law governing their status.
A.R.S. § 14-1201(48)Understanding these definitions helps clarify who has standing to participate in a proceeding, what qualifies as "property" or "claims" against an estate, and how the court distinguishes between different types of trusts, wills, and fiduciaries.
Terms That Come Up Most Often
A few definitions in this section appear repeatedly across Arizona's estate and trust law. "Beneficiary" has four distinct meanings depending on the context: trust beneficiary, charitable trust beneficiary, beneficiary of a designation (like a life insurance policy), and beneficiary under a governing instrument. "Interested person" is broadly defined to include heirs, devisees, creditors, trustees, and anyone with a property right or claim against the estate.
"Will" includes a codicil and any testamentary instrument that merely appoints a personal representative, revokes or revises another will, nominates a guardian or conservator, or both, or expressly excludes or limits the right of an individual or class to succeed to property of the decedent passing by intestate succession. A will may be a paper will or an electronic will.
A.R.S. § 14-1201(71)This section also defines "electronic will," "certified paper original," and "qualified custodian," reflecting Arizona's recognition of electronic wills under its updated code. For anyone reading Title 14, this definitions section is the starting point for understanding what each term actually means in practice.
