The 120-Hour Waiting Period
Arizona does not allow a personal representative to be appointed immediately after a death. The law requires at least 120 hours to pass before the registrar can act on an informal appointment application. This five-day window gives other interested parties time to come forward and, in cases involving simultaneous deaths, ensures the survival rules under Arizona law have been resolved.
Upon receipt of an application for informal appointment of a personal representative other than a special administrator as provided in section 14-3614, if at least one hundred twenty hours have elapsed since the decedent's death, the registrar, after making the findings required by section 14-3308, shall appoint the applicant subject to qualification and acceptance.
A.R.S. § 14-3307(A)For nonresident decedents, the waiting period extends to thirty days unless the applicant is the personal representative already appointed in the decedent's home state, or the will directs that the estate be subject to Arizona law.
Full Authority From the Start
Once the informal appointment is made, the personal representative holds the full powers and duties of the office. There is no provisional period or limited authority. The appointment is subject to termination under specific statutory provisions, but it cannot be retroactively vacated.
The status of personal representative and the powers and duties pertaining to the office are fully established by informal appointment.
A.R.S. § 14-3307(B)This means the personal representative can immediately begin gathering assets, paying debts, and managing estate affairs. The informal process is designed to get a responsible person in place quickly so the estate can move forward without unnecessary delay.