How Double Relationships Happen
It sounds unusual, but it is more common than most people realize. A person can be related to a decedent through two separate lines of the family tree. This typically occurs in families where relatives have married each other. For example, if two siblings from one family marry two siblings from another, their children could be related through both their mother's and father's sides.
A person who is related to the decedent through two lines of relationship is entitled to only a single share based on the relationship that would entitle the person to the larger share.
A.R.S. § 14-2113Arizona's rule is simple and fair. The heir does not get two bites at the apple. They receive one share, calculated using whichever family connection gives them the better result.
Why This Prevents Complications
Without this rule, a person related through two lines could theoretically claim two separate shares of an estate. That would reduce what other heirs receive and create an imbalance the decedent likely never intended.
By limiting the heir to the larger of the two possible shares, the statute keeps the distribution proportional and predictable. It also simplifies the work of the personal representative, who does not need to calculate and distribute two overlapping shares to the same person.
If your family tree includes marriages between branches of the same extended family, this statute is worth knowing. It ensures the estate is divided fairly, with each heir counted once.
