What Termination Actually Means
Termination of a personal representative's appointment is not a clean break from all responsibility. It ends the authority that comes with the office, but it leaves certain obligations firmly in place. The representative can no longer make decisions for the estate or represent it in legal proceedings, yet they remain liable for anything they did (or failed to do) while serving.
Termination ends the right and power pertaining to the office of personal representative as conferred by this title or any will, except that a personal representative, at any time prior to distribution or until restrained or enjoined by court order, may perform acts necessary to protect the estate and may deliver the assets to a successor representative.
A.R.S. § 14-3608There is one narrow exception: even after termination, the representative can still take steps necessary to protect the estate and can hand assets over to a successor. This prevents a gap in estate protection during the transition from one representative to the next.
Accountability Survives the Appointment
Termination does not discharge a personal representative from liability for transactions or omissions that occurred during their time in office. If they mishandled funds, failed to file required documents, or made poor decisions while serving, they can still be held accountable after they are no longer in the role.
The representative also retains a duty to preserve any estate assets still under their control and to account for those assets. The court's jurisdiction over the former representative continues as well, meaning the probate court can still address disputes or claims related to their service even after the appointment ends.
For families going through this transition, the key takeaway is that changing a personal representative does not erase the record. The outgoing representative must account for everything and deliver assets to whoever takes over.