Affidavit of Heirship in Arizona

Arizona has no general affidavit of heirship, but it has a statutory Affidavit of Succession to Real Property for small real estate holdings. Six months after death, if no personal representative has been appointed and the Arizona real estate, less liens, is worth no more than $300,000 (by assessed full cash value), the successors can file the affidavit with the superior court; a certified copy is then recorded with the county recorder where the property is located. Larger estates require probate.

The surviving spouse takes the decedent's entire intestate estate (separate property and the decedent's half of the community property) if there are no descendants or if all descendants are also the spouse's. If any descendant is not the spouse's, the spouse takes half of the separate property and none of the decedent's half of the community property. The rest (or everything, with no spouse) goes to descendants, then parents, then the parents' descendants (siblings and their lines), then half to each side's grandparents or their descendants.