Informal Proceedings Stop
Arizona allows most probate matters to be handled informally, without hearings or court orders. But the moment a petition for supervised administration is filed, that changes. Any informal applications that are pending or filed afterward are automatically stayed.
The pendency of a proceeding for supervised administration of a decedent's estate stays action on any informal application then pending or thereafter filed.
A.R.S. § 14-3503(A)If a will was previously admitted through informal probate, the filing of the supervised administration petition has the same effect as a formal testacy proceeding under A.R.S. 14-3401. That means the court may reexamine the will's validity and the personal representative's appointment.
Distribution Powers Are Frozen
This is the most immediate practical consequence. Once the personal representative receives notice that a supervised administration petition has been filed, they cannot distribute any estate assets. Period. The court must decide first whether supervision is warranted.
After he has received notice of the filing of a petition for supervised administration, a personal representative who has been appointed previously shall not exercise his power to distribute any estate. The filing of the petition does not affect his other powers and duties unless the court restricts the exercise of any of them pending full hearing on the petition.
A.R.S. § 14-3503(C)Other powers, like paying creditors, managing property, or handling routine estate business, remain intact unless the court specifically restricts them. The petition itself does not remove the personal representative from office. It simply triggers a pause on distributions until the court has a chance to evaluate the situation.