Interim Orders and Partial Distributions
Supervised administration does not mean everything waits until the very end. The court can issue orders throughout the process. If the personal representative or any interested person requests it, the court may authorize partial distributions, approve specific transactions, or grant other relief while the estate remains open.
Interim orders approving or directing partial distributions or granting other relief may be issued by the court at any time during the pendency of a supervised administration on the application of the personal representative or any interested person.
A.R.S. § 14-3505(A)Supervised administration ends through the same closing process used for other estates under A.R.S. 14-3931, with the same notice requirements and time restrictions. The court does not keep the estate open indefinitely.
Annual Accounting Is Required
Unlike unsupervised administration, where the personal representative reports directly to the beneficiaries, supervised administration requires regular reporting to the court. The personal representative must file an account at least once per year during the administration.
A supervised personal representative shall file an account with the court not less than annually during his administration, and on closing shall file a final account to be approved under section 14-3931.
A.R.S. § 14-3505(B)A copy of each intermediate account must be sent to all interested parties along with notice of the hearing. The court can also require the personal representative to submit to a physical check of the estate assets. When the court approves an intermediate account after notice and hearing, that order settles the personal representative's liabilities for the matters covered. On closing, the personal representative files a final account for court approval. If the personal representative resigns or is removed, they must also file an accounting at that point.