{"id":306,"date":"2019-03-22T08:40:54","date_gmt":"2019-03-22T15:40:54","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/?p=306"},"modified":"2022-11-14T13:48:27","modified_gmt":"2022-11-14T20:48:27","slug":"will-not-probated","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/blog\/will-not-probated\/","title":{"rendered":"What Happens If a Will is Not Probated?"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2>Introduction<\/h2>\n<p>Probate can be a costly, time-consuming process, so it\u2019s natural to question if probate is necessary. To understand what happens if a will is not probated, it helps to understand the difference between probate and non-probate assets.<\/p>\n<h4>Probate Assets<\/h4>\n<p>Any assets owned solely by the decedent are subject to probate. This includes:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Individual bank accounts in the decedent\u2019s name<\/li>\n<li>Brokerage accounts or life insurance policies that list the decedent or the estate as the beneficiary<\/li>\n<li>Real property titled in the decedent\u2019s name or held as tenants-in-common (TIC)<\/li>\n<li>Personal property (cars, jewelry, furniture, collectibles, etc.)<\/li>\n<li>Business interests (a personal stake in a partnership, corporation, or LLC)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Each of these assets are titled in the decedent\u2019s name, and only probate court has the authority to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.azleg.gov\/ars\/14\/03101.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">transfer the title<\/a> to the heirs and beneficiaries listed in the will. If the decedent passes away without a will, these assets will be dispersed according to the state\u2019s intestacy succession laws, but they are still required to go through probate court. If a will is not probated, these assets will remain frozen in the decedent\u2019s name.<\/p>\n<h4>Non-Probate Assets<\/h4>\n<p>To simplify the probate process, the courts allow certain assets to transfer ownership immediately upon the death of the decedent, without going through probate and regardless of the existence of a will. In many cases, the directives surrounding these assets supersede those in the will. Non-probate assets include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Retirement accounts (e.g. 401k, IRA)<\/li>\n<li>Brokerage or bank accounts held in joint tenancy, or with a transfer-on-death (TOD) or payable-on-death (POD) beneficiary<\/li>\n<li>Life insurance policies with a 3<sup>rd<\/sup> party beneficiary<\/li>\n<li>Real or personal property held in a trust<\/li>\n<li>Real property held in joint tenancy or as tenants by the entirety<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Even if a will is not probated, these assets will transfer to the designated beneficiaries at the time of death. Most institutions require a death certificate to confirm the decedent\u2019s passing and initiate the transfer of ownership\u2014a process much simpler than probate.<\/p>\n<h4>Debt Obligations<\/h4>\n<p>If the probate process is not opened, the decedent\u2019s creditors have up to one year to file a claim against the estate. Once probate is opened by the court and a notice is filed in the local newspaper announcing the probate, creditors only have four months to submit a claim. Keep in mind, however, that regardless of the time frame, heirs and beneficiaries listed in the will are not liable for the decedent\u2019s debts unless they are a surviving spouse, or they personally guaranteed or cosigned for the debt. The law requires that all the decedent\u2019s debts, bills, and taxes must be paid before any distributions are made, but the liability for said obligations does not extend to beneficiaries listed in the will.<\/p>\n<h4>The Small Estate Exception<\/h4>\n<p>To simplify the transfer of assets for smaller estates, the state of Arizona allows you to bypass the entire probate process if the estate meets two guidelines:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>The decedent\u2019s personal property value is less than $75,000<\/li>\n<li>The decedent\u2019s real property value is less than $100,000<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>To do this, fill out and submit a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.superiorcourt.maricopa.gov\/sscDocs\/packets\/pbse1.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Non-Probate Affidavit<\/a>. The individual filling out the affidavit will need to affirm their relationship with the decedent, list the value of the property, provide some general information about the decedent, and itemize the decedent\u2019s assets and liabilities. Once complete, submit the affidavit to the Superior Court of Arizona.<\/p>\n<h4>Neglecting Probate<\/h4>\n<p>If there is no urgency to transfer the decedent\u2019s assets, or if the estate is insolvent (not enough assets to cover liabilities), many people avoid the hassle by never opening probate. If the decedent left a will, you are required to file the will with the county court, but there is no penalty for not opening probate once the will is properly filed.<\/p>\n<h4>Statute of limitations<\/h4>\n<p>In the state of Arizona, probate court procedures are dictated by a set of laws called the <a href=\"http:\/\/www.azcourts.gov\/Portals\/83\/pdf\/UniformProbateCode2006.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Uniform Probate Code<\/a>. Probate should be opened within two years of the decedent\u2019s passing. If probate isn\u2019t opened, any objections to the will need to be filed within the same two years.<\/p>\n<h4>Personal Representative\u2019s Obligations<\/h4>\n<p>The personal representative, or <a href=\"https:\/\/www.azleg.gov\/ars\/14\/03301.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">executor<\/a>, is the individual nominated by the decedent to handle their affairs when they die. It is his or her responsibility to manage the estate throughout the probate process, especially when it pertains to resolving the decedent\u2019s debt obligations and distributing assets to the heirs and beneficiaries.<\/p>\n<p>Even if you promised the decedent that you would serve as the personal representative to manage their estate\u2019s affairs, you are not required to accept the responsibility. The will only serves as a nomination; you retain the right to decline. Your minimum obligation would be to file the will with the county court, at which point the judge can appoint an administrator to handle the estate\u2019s affairs. The administrator is frequently next-of-kin, but if there are any disputes the court can appoint a neutral third party who can be counted on for fair and unbiased administration.<\/p>\n<h4>Legal Obligation to File a Will<\/h4>\n<p>If you are in possession of someone\u2019s will, either as the nominated personal representative, a family member, or even a friend, you have a legal obligation to file the document with the county court upon the decedent\u2019s passing. Most states allow anywhere from 30 days to three months from the date of death to do this.<\/p>\n<p>Failure to file a will within the allotted time frame isn\u2019t a criminal offense, but you may be responsible for any consequences that arise from your lack of action. For example, someone who is financially harmed by your failure to file the will can initiate a lawsuit against you to recoup damages. You could also be subject to criminal charges if the court finds that you concealed the will, or deliberately refrained from filing it, for financial gain.<\/p>\n<p>If the probate process sounds like more trouble than it\u2019s worth, or if you know the decedent\u2019s estate is insolvent, you have the right to file the will and walk away. By filing the will with the county court within the appropriate amount of time, you are fulfilling your legal duty, and have no further obligations. Any interested parties who wish to initiate the probate process can petition the court to open probate and carry on with the proceedings without your involvement.<\/p>\n<h4>Do You Need Help with Probate Matters?<\/h4>\n<p>As you can see, <a href=\"\/probate\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">AZ probate laws<\/a> can be complex. It requires a number of steps and without the right approach, it\u2019s easy to get lost in the details. At JacksonWhite, we can make probate a clear, easy-to-understand process. If you\u2019d like help with probate matters, call the talented team at JacksonWhite Law today.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: left;\">Call our Probate team at <a href=\"tel:4804674365\">(480)467-4365<\/a> to discuss your case today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Introduction Probate can be a costly, time-consuming process, so it\u2019s natural to question if probate is necessary. To understand what happens if a will is not probated, it helps to understand the difference between probate and non-probate assets. Probate Assets Any assets owned solely by the decedent are subject to probate. This includes: Individual bank [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[28],"tags":[],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v22.5 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What Happens If a Will is Not Probated?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"To understand what happens if a will is not probated, it helps to understand the difference between probate and non-probate assets.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/blog\/will-not-probated\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What Happens If a Will is Not Probated?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"To understand what happens if a will is not probated, it helps to understand the difference between probate and non-probate assets.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/blog\/will-not-probated\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Arizona Probate Attorneys - JacksonWhite Law\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2019-03-22T15:40:54+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2022-11-14T20:48:27+00:00\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"JacksonWhite Law\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@jacksonwhite\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"JacksonWhite Law\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"6 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/blog\/will-not-probated\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/blog\/will-not-probated\/\",\"name\":\"What Happens If a Will is Not Probated?\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2019-03-22T15:40:54+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2022-11-14T20:48:27+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/#\/schema\/person\/8c21e57c3b7b5687d04d46c484300fb1\"},\"description\":\"To understand what happens if a will is not probated, it helps to understand the difference between probate and non-probate assets.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/blog\/will-not-probated\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/blog\/will-not-probated\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/blog\/will-not-probated\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Practice Areas\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/practice-areas\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":3,\"name\":\"Probate\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":4,\"name\":\"What Happens If a Will is Not Probated?\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/\",\"name\":\"Arizona Probate Attorneys - JacksonWhite Law\",\"description\":\"Get affordable, compassionate probate help when it matters most.\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/#\/schema\/person\/8c21e57c3b7b5687d04d46c484300fb1\",\"name\":\"JacksonWhite Law\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/22d099f2d357354cf7d7981ce859ebee?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/22d099f2d357354cf7d7981ce859ebee?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"JacksonWhite Law\"},\"sameAs\":[\"https:\/\/x.com\/jacksonwhite\"],\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/blog\/author\/jacksonwhite-law\/\"}]}<\/script>\n<!-- \/ Yoast SEO plugin. -->","yoast_head_json":{"title":"What Happens If a Will is Not Probated?","description":"To understand what happens if a will is not probated, it helps to understand the difference between probate and non-probate assets.","robots":{"index":"index","follow":"follow","max-snippet":"max-snippet:-1","max-image-preview":"max-image-preview:large","max-video-preview":"max-video-preview:-1"},"canonical":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/blog\/will-not-probated\/","og_locale":"en_US","og_type":"article","og_title":"What Happens If a Will is Not Probated?","og_description":"To understand what happens if a will is not probated, it helps to understand the difference between probate and non-probate assets.","og_url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/blog\/will-not-probated\/","og_site_name":"Arizona Probate Attorneys - JacksonWhite Law","article_published_time":"2019-03-22T15:40:54+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-11-14T20:48:27+00:00","author":"JacksonWhite Law","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_creator":"@jacksonwhite","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"JacksonWhite Law","Est. reading time":"6 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/blog\/will-not-probated\/","url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/blog\/will-not-probated\/","name":"What Happens If a Will is Not Probated?","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/#website"},"datePublished":"2019-03-22T15:40:54+00:00","dateModified":"2022-11-14T20:48:27+00:00","author":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/#\/schema\/person\/8c21e57c3b7b5687d04d46c484300fb1"},"description":"To understand what happens if a will is not probated, it helps to understand the difference between probate and non-probate assets.","breadcrumb":{"@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/blog\/will-not-probated\/#breadcrumb"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"ReadAction","target":["https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/blog\/will-not-probated\/"]}]},{"@type":"BreadcrumbList","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/blog\/will-not-probated\/#breadcrumb","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Home","item":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"name":"Practice Areas","item":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/practice-areas\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"name":"Probate","item":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/"},{"@type":"ListItem","position":4,"name":"What Happens If a Will is Not Probated?"}]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/#website","url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/","name":"Arizona Probate Attorneys - JacksonWhite Law","description":"Get affordable, compassionate probate help when it matters most.","potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/#\/schema\/person\/8c21e57c3b7b5687d04d46c484300fb1","name":"JacksonWhite Law","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/22d099f2d357354cf7d7981ce859ebee?s=96&d=mm&r=g","contentUrl":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/22d099f2d357354cf7d7981ce859ebee?s=96&d=mm&r=g","caption":"JacksonWhite Law"},"sameAs":["https:\/\/x.com\/jacksonwhite"],"url":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/blog\/author\/jacksonwhite-law\/"}]}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=306"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1278,"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/306\/revisions\/1278"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=306"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=306"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/probate\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=306"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}