Reasonable Compensation Is the Standard
Serving as a personal representative involves real work: gathering assets, paying debts, filing tax returns, communicating with beneficiaries, and managing property until it can be distributed. Arizona law recognizes this by entitling the personal representative to reasonable compensation from the estate.
A personal representative is entitled to reasonable compensation for his services. If a will provides for compensation of the personal representative and there is no contract with the decedent regarding compensation, he may renounce the provision before qualifying and be entitled to reasonable compensation.
A.R.S. § 14-3719The statute does not set a fixed dollar amount or percentage. "Reasonable" depends on the complexity of the estate, the time involved, and the skill required. Simple estates with a few bank accounts and a house will justify less compensation than complex estates involving business interests, litigation, or multi-state property.
Renouncing or Waiving Fees
If the will specifies a compensation amount, the personal representative has a choice. They can accept the amount the will provides, or they can renounce that provision before they officially qualify and instead claim reasonable compensation under the statute. This protects personal representatives from being locked into a fee set years ago that no longer reflects the actual workload.
On the other side, a personal representative who does not want to be paid, perhaps a family member who prefers to serve without charge, can renounce their right to compensation in whole or in part. A written renunciation can be filed with the court. This is common when a spouse or adult child serves as personal representative and views the role as a family obligation rather than a paid position.