Procedures And Instructions: When And How To File Petition For Approval Of Final Accounting (Pinal)

There are all sorts of forms executors, beneficiaries, and probate court clerks have to fill out and correspond with during probate and estate settlement, including affidavits, letters, petitions, summons, orders, and notices.

Procedures And Instructions: When And How To File Petition For Approval Of Final Accounting (Pinal) is a commonly used form within Arizona. Here’s an overview of what the form is and means, including a breakdown of the situations when (or why) you may need to use it:

Instructions and forms for telling the personal representative and/or the court you want notice of proceedings in an estate case.

Atticus Fast Facts About Procedures And Instructions: When And How To File Petition For Approval Of Final Accounting (Pinal)

Sometimes it’s tough to find a quick summary— here’s the important details you should know about Procedures And Instructions: When And How To File Petition For Approval Of Final Accounting (Pinal):

• This form pertains to the State of Arizona

Government forms are not typically updated often, though when they are, it often happens rather quietly. While Atticus works hard to keep this information about Arizona’s Form Procedures And Instructions: When And How To File Petition For Approval Of Final Accounting (Pinal) up to date, certain details can change from time-to-time with little or no communication.

Step 1 - Download the correct Arizona form based on the name and ID if applicable

Double check that you have both the correct form name and the correct form ID. Some Arizona probate forms can look remarkably similar, so it’s best to double, even triple-check that you’re using the right one! Keep in mind that not all States have a standardized Form ID system for their probate forms.

Step 2 - Complete the Document

Fill out all relevant fields in Form Procedures And Instructions: When And How To File Petition For Approval Of Final Accounting (Pinal), take a break, and then review. Probate and estate settlement processes in AZ are long enough to begin with, and making a silly error can push your timeline even farther back. No thank you!

Note: If you don’t currently know all of the answers and are accessing Form Procedures And Instructions: When And How To File Petition For Approval Of Final Accounting (Pinal) online, be sure to avoid closing the browser tab and potentially losing all your progress (or use a platform like Atticus to help avoid making mistakes).

Step 3 - Have Form witnessed or notarized (if required)

Some States and situations require particular forms to be notarized. If you have been instructed to get the document notarized or see it in writing on the document, then make sure to hire a local notary. There are max notary fees in the United States that are defined and set by local law. Take a look at our full guide to notary fees to make sure you aren’t overpaying or getting ripped off.

Step 4 - Submit Procedures And Instructions: When And How To File Petition For Approval Of Final Accounting (Pinal) to the relevant office

This is most often the local probate court where the decedent (person who passed away) is domiciled (permanently resides) or the institution involved with this particular form (e.g. a bank). Some offices allow you to submit forms online, other’s don’t, and we while we generally recommend going in-person to expedite the process, sometimes that simply isn’t an option.

It’s also a generally good idea to establish a positive working relationship with any probate clerk (unfortunately there’s enough people & process out there making things more difficult and unnecessarily confusing for them), so a best practice is to simply ask the probate clerk proactively exactly how and where they’d prefer you to submit all forms.

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Different probate forms or processes can require different deadlines or response times for completing the appropriate form.

While some steps in the process are bound to specific deadlines (like petitioning for probate, having to submit an inventory of assets, or filing applicable notices to creditors and beneficiaries), many probate forms or processes are not tied to a specific deadline since the scope of work can vary based on situational factors or requirements involved.

Either way, there are a bunch of practical reasons why personal representatives should work to complete each step as thoroughly and quickly as possible when completing probate in Arizona.

5 reasons you should submit this form as quickly as possible:

1. The sooner you begin, the faster Arizona can allow heirs and beneficiaries to get their share of assets subject to probate. Acting promptly can also decrease the costs & overall mental fatigue through an otherwise burdensome process.
   
   Helpful Context: What’s the Difference Between Probate and Non-Probate Assets?

2. In general, creditors of an estate usually have around 3-6 months from the time you file notice to creditors to file any claims for debt against the deceased’s assets. If they don’t, then that debt is forfeited (and more importantly, the executor won’t be held personally responsible). So doing this sooner means you have a better idea of who is owed what and ensures you won’t get a surprise collector months later.

3. Not filing a will within 30 days (on average) could mean that the probate process proceeds according to intestate laws (laws that govern what happens to someone's stuff without a will) or is subject to unnecessary supervision by the probate court. And if you aren't directly related to the deceased (a.k.a. next of kin), this could also mean you lose your inheritance.

4. It’s important to file any necessary state tax returns on behalf of the deceased or estate by the following tax season in Arizona. If you don’t, you could owe penalties and interest. This also includes any necessary federal tax returns such as Forms 1040, 1041, or even a Form 706 estate tax return.

5. If a house in the State of Arizona is left empty (or abandoned) for a while, insurance can get dicey. For example, if the house burns down and no one has been there for a year, an insurance company may get out of paying your claim.

If you’re not using Atticus to get specific forms, deadlines, and timelines for Arizona probate, then try and stay as organized as possible, pay close attention to the dates mentioned in any correspondence you have with the State’s government officials, call the local Arizona probate clerk or court for exact answers regarding Form Procedures And Instructions: When And How To File Petition For Approval Of Final Accounting (Pinal), and when in doubt— consult a qualified trust & estates lawyer for that area.

Procedures And Instructions: When And How To File Petition For Approval Of Final Accounting (Pinal) is one of the many probate court forms available for download through Atticus.

It may also be available through some Arizona probate court sites, such as . In order to access the latest version, be updated with any revisions, and get full instructions on how to complete each form, check out the Atticus Probate & Estate Settlement software or consider hiring a qualified legal expert locally within Arizona.

While Atticus automatically provides the latest forms, be sure to choose the correct version of Form Procedures And Instructions: When And How To File Petition For Approval Of Final Accounting (Pinal) f using any other site or resource in order to avoid having to re-complete the form process and/or make another trip to the Arizona probate court office.

Procedures And Instructions: When And How To File Petition For Approval Of Final Accounting (Pinal) is a .pdf, so opening it should be as simple as clicking “View Form” from within the Atticus app or by clicking the appropriate link found on any Arizona-provided government platform. Once you’ve opened the form, you should be able to directly edit the form before saving or printing.

Here’s the text, verbatim, that is found on Arizona Form Procedures And Instructions: When And How To File Petition For Approval Of Final Accounting (Pinal). You can use this to get an idea of the context of the form and what type of information is needed.

Page 1 of 1 PB_AACE_COSCPinal_10.04.11 Use only most current version APPOIN TMENT OF PERSONAL REPRESENTATIVE AND ADMISSION OF WILL (if applicable) CHECKLIS T USE THE FORMS AND INSTRUCTIONS in this packet only if the following factors apply to your situati on: √You have been appointed Personal Representative of the estate of a person that died. AND √ The person had a Will or did not have a Will. AND √You want to transfer property (you must use this packet to transfer any real property). AND/OR √File the final accounting of the Estate of the person who died because you are ready to close the Estate (you do not need to file a final accounting unless you want to do a formal closing which means you want the court to review your accounting, or there are some accounting issues that you want the court to resolve). READ ME: It is very important for you to know that when you sign a court document, you may be helping or hurting your court case. Before you sign any court document, or get involved with a court case, it is important that you see a lawyer to make sure you are doing the right thing. Page 1 of 2 PB_AACE_COSCPinal_10.04.11 Use only most current version PROCEDURES WHEN AND HOW TO FILE PETITION FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL ACCOUNTING A. WHEN TO FILE THE PETITION FOR APPROVAL OF FINAL ACCOUNTING, DEED OF DISTRIBUTION and/or FEES. Follow the instructions below to find out what forms you need to fill out and how often you must fill out the forms. Use only black ink. Keep forms neat and clean. √Petition for Approval of Accounting: At the end of the case, prior to closing the case, you may file a Petition to ask the court to approve how the estate was managed. You are not required to file a Petition for Approval of Accounting, but you can file this Petition if you want the court to do a formal closing, or if you have some accounting or distributions issues that you want the court to resolve. To help you complete the Petition, you should read and follow the ACCOUNTING GUIDELINES in the instructions. √Deed of Distribution: The Deed of Distribution must be used to transfer any real estate/real property. After all claims have been settled and you are ready to transfer the property to someone, you need to fill out the Deed of Distribution and mail a copy to all interested persons. File the original Deed with the Clerk of the Court/Probate Registrar, and obtain two certified copies--one for your file and one to record with the County Recorder. √Fee Statement: If you or anyone else is charging fees to the estate, the Petition must also include a request for approval of the Fee Statement, and attach a copy of the Fee Statement. B.HOW TO FILE THE PETITION FOR APPROVAL OF ACCOUNTING OR FEES. Remember you do not have to file this document unless you want to see the judge regarding some accounting issues. STEP 1COMPLETE THE PETITION FOR APPROVAL OF ACCOUNTING AND/OR FEES: Complete the Petition, the Accounting and the Account Summary. If you are claiming fees, you must also complete the Fee Statement. STEP 2 COPIES: Make copies of all of the documents: one set for you and one set for each of the interested parties. STEP 3 FILE THE DOCUMENTS WITH THE COURT: File the original with the Clerk of Superior Court. Bring the extra copies of the Petition, the Accounting, and the Fee statement (if applicable) for the Clerk to conform for you. A Deputy Clerk of the Court will keep the original for the Court file. The Deputy Clerk will return confirmed copies to you so that you may give them to other interested parties. You can also mail the documents to the Clerk at the following location: CLERK OF THE SUPERIOR COURT P.O. Box 2730 Florence, AZ 85132 Note: At this point, Formal and Informal Probate cases differ. Formal Probate cases are assigned to a Judge and Informal Probate cases are assigned to the Probate Registrar. STEP 4GIVE NOTICE OF THE “NON-APPEARANCE” HEARING TO EVERYONE ENTITLED TO NOTICE: In a Formal Probate, after you receive the information about the date, time, and place of the “non-appearance” hearing, you must give notice to all interested persons. Be sure that you do this at least 14 days before the hearing. You do not need to give formal notice by personal service, but you do need to mail or deliver the Notice Page 2 of 2 PB_AACE_COSCPinal_10.04.11 Use only most current version of Hearing a nd a copy of the Accounting to the other interested parties . First class postage-prepaid mail is sufficient. Certified or Registered mail is an extra step you can take to prove that the person you want to have notice did get the notice. STEP 5 YOU DO NOT NEED TO COME TO THE “NON-APPEARANCE” HEARING. The purpose of a “non-appearance” hearing is to give persons who object to the paperwork the opportunity to let the Judge know they have an objection. So, if someone shows up at the scheduled “non appearance hearing”, the Court will reset the hearing for a new date, time and place. You will get notice of the new hearing date in the mail from the Court. If you receive a new hearing date, you must go to the hearing. Court approval of the annual accounting and fees is required. At or after the “non- appearance” hearing date, the Judge will decide whether to approve the petition, or ask you to give additional information. If the petition is not approved, be sure to follow the instructions on the court order you receive from the Judge. In an Informal Probate, the Registrar will review the petition and decide if it will be approved or if there is additional information needed. OTHER HELP: If you still have questions about this procedure, you can ask a lawyer for legal advice. You can look up a lawyer in the telephone book under “attorneys”. Page 1 of 4 PB_AACE_COSCPinal_10.04.11 Use only most current version INSTRUCTIONS SIMPLIFIED ACCOUNTING GUIDELINES FOR PROBATE ACCOUNTS READ ME. These guidelines are to help non-accountants and non-lawyers complete the court paperwork. To use these Simplified Guidelines, you should have a copy of the Superior Court Form for Submission of Final Accounting. If you are not sure how to complete the court papers, contact an accountant or a lawyer for help. BACKGROUND INFORMATION. The following information is to assist you in preparing an account of the estate for approval by the judge. The purpose of an account is to present financial information in a format that is meaningful to the interested parties. Persons who are not accountants and lawyers should understand the accounting. The information should be presented in a simple but complete format to help everyone understand the administration of the estate. Parties should easily be able to determine what came into the estate, what went out, and what is left in the estate at the end of the accounting period. 1.Time period: Write in the dates for which this accounting was prepared (for example: March 1, 1995 to February 28, 1996). 2.Bond: If this applies to your case, write in the current bond amount. Write in the amount the bond should be increased or decreased based on the amount that will cover the estate’s unrestricted assets plus the unrestricted income for the next accounting period (generally one year). ACCOUNT SUMMARY: Use only black ink. INSTRUCTIONS: Complete lists A through F. Then, write the final amounts from each list on the Account Summary. LIST A: BEGINNING BALANCE: If this is the First Account, use the Inventory and Appraisement figure you submitted when you were appointed conservator. If this is the Second Account or any other account, use the same information you used as the ending balance for the previous Account. You can copy the ending balance from the previous account and write in LIST A. List the account numbers and institution for all bank accounts. List all assets with an adequate description so that the asset can be located and identified (addresses of properties, year, make, and model of vehicles, insurance company name and policy number, and so forth). List life insurance policies at cash value (or if a carrying value is used, then report the cash value in the Information Schedule on Investments). Include with the beginning and ending assets, all information about any debts owed or liens on the assets, like a house or automobile. Include the following information about the debt or lien: the payee, the principal balance, interest rate, and the pay-off date. Be sure that if any assets are restricted you label them restricted.” AFTER YOU FINISH LIST A, PUT THE TOTAL AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE ON LINE A OF PAGE 1. LIST B: MONEY RECEIVED DURING THIS ACCOUNT PERIOD: Only list items that represent income to the estate during this account period. Itemize all money received by date of receipt, payer, description by type of receipt (interest income, dividends, social security, and so forth), and other details to identify the income source (such as account numbers), and amount. If you have a lot of receipts (more than two pages for List B), group some receipts together. For example, report the total interest Page 2 of 4 PB_AACE_COSCPinal_10.04.11 Use only most current version earned from one particular account on one line. In addition, if you group the receipts together, you must keep a back-up schedule detailing the money received under each group and attach a copy of the back-up schedule to this form. Do not include transfers of funds from one account to another within the same estate. Report transfers of funds on an additional paper. Report anytime you closed or opened an account, cashed in or purchased an insurance policy, or any other transfer of funds in which the original form of the asset is discontinued or a new asset is obtained. After you finish List B, put the total at the bottom of the page on line B of page 1. LIST C: SCHEDULE OF ALL GAINS DURING THIS ACCOUNT PERIOD: On List C put in the details of sales with gains. This includes the date of sale, purchaser (person sold to), description of what was sold, and the amount gained (sale price minus fees, and minus the value of the asset as reported in the previous Account or Inventory and Appraisement). If you sold an asset but had no gain and no loss, you must still report the transaction and list the gain as zero. You should also list other increases to the estate on List C and add them to the total at the bottom of the page. Increases to the estate may include: assets you did not know about at the last accounting but now you do; assets that increased in value since the last accounting, such as investments or insurance, and so forth. You should only show increases or decreases in value of an asset if the value could be supported by documentation (such as a written appraisal, or when the market value is easily available, as for securities). For most assets other than investments or insurance, it is not necessary to adjust the values of the assets. You do not need to obtain appraisals (or otherwise incur unnecessary expenses) to adjust an asset's value for an account. However, if you are aware of a significant change in value of an asset, you should mention it in a note at the bottom of List C. Show marketable securities at the carrying value and the current value in a separate list on investments. The difference between these values is the adjustment. If you want to carry the investment at the carrying value (no adjustment made), you should still attach another list on investments showing the carrying values with the current market values (the same information needed for an adjustment). This is necessary to assess your investment performance and the appropriate bond level when you prefer not to adjust assets such as marketable securities to current market value. After you finish List C, put the total at the bottom of the page on line C of page 1. LIST D: MONEY SPENT (DISBURSEMENTS) DURING THIS ACCOUNT PERIOD: Now you need to list money you spent on behalf of the estate during the Account period. Only include items that are expenses of the estate. List the date, person you paid, purpose of expense, and amount. If the expense is unusual or appears questionable, you should provide additional information in a note attached to List D. If you have many transactions to report (generally more than 4 pages), group them into categories. For example, all expenses for nursing care may be shown on one line. These categories must be specific. Categories such as miscellaneous and cash are not acceptable. Grouped expenses must also list purpose and payee. In addition, if you group the receipts together, you must keep a back-up schedule detailing the money received under each group and attach a copy of the back-up schedule to this form. Page 3 of 4 PB_AACE_COSCPinal_10.04.11 Use only most current version Transfers of funds are not receipts or disbursements and should be reported on a paper attached to List B. A purchase for purposes of investment is a transfer of funds and not a disbursement. Distributions of an estate in probate are also reported on List D. Describe each disbursement by date, payee, purpose, and amount. After you finish List D, put the total at the bottom of the page on line D of page 1. LIST E: SCHE DULE OF LOSSES DURING THIS ACCOUNT PERIOD: List all losses and show the date, the purchaser, a description of the transaction, and the amount of loss. Loss means price minus fees and minus the carrying value of the asset (the value of the asset as you reported it in the previous Account or Inventory and Appraisement). If you sold an asset at neither a gain nor a loss, report the transaction and show a gain of zero in List C. List other decreases to the estate. Decreases may include decreases in values of assets, loss of assets, and so forth. As with gains, you should only list a decrease in value if they are supported with documentation such as an appraisal, or are readily ascertainable, as with value of marketable securities. List all adjustments to the value of marketable securities with carrying value and current market value. For most assets that are not investments you do not need to adjust the value, but you should disclose a significant loss in value in a note at the bottom of List E. For example you cannot take depreciation adjustments. If you are aware that the property is worth well below the carrying value, you should state your estimate of the current value on List E. After you finish List E, put the total at the bottom of the page on line E of page 1. LIST F: VALUE OF PROPERTY AT END OF ACCOUNTING PERIOD: List everything remaining in the estate at the end of the accounting period. This is the state of all assets after all the transactions of the Account have occurred. List all assets that exist at the end of the account period. Be specific so that the assets can be identified and located (account numbers, banks, property addresses). As with List A, also include any debts owed or liens on the assets, like a house or automobile. Include the following information about the debt or lien: the payee, the principal balance, interest rate, and the pay-off date. Finally, label any restricted assets as restricted.” After you finish List F, put the total at the bottom of the page on line F of page 1. GO BACK TO THE ACCOUNT SUMMARY: Now that you have completed Lists A through F, check to be sure you filled in the blanks on the Account Summary as follows: Enter the beginning balance of the account from the total at the bottom of List A; Add the total money received during the account period from the total at the bottom of List B; Add the gains on property from the total at the bottom of List C; Subtract the money spent (disbursed) from the total at the bottom of List D; Subtract the losses on property from the total at the bottom of List E; The total should be the same as the total you entered at the bottom of List F. Page 4 of 4 PB_AACE_COSCPinal_10.04.11 Use only most current version COMMON ERRORS: These are common errors found in Accountings. Addition. The total at the bottom of each list must be the same as the amount you put on the Account Summary, page 1. Double-check all the totals on your lists. An incorrect beginning balance. The beginning balance must match the ending balance of the previous Account or Inventory. If the ending balance of the previous Account or the Inventory was wrong, use it anyway, and make corrections on List C for gains or List E for losses, and explain what you are doing. Value of assets on Lists A and F. All valuable estate assets should be included on both lists. Social Security Income survivor benefits for minors. Often, the proceeds of a settlement are properly reported but the conservator for the minor fails to report the Social Security benefits received. Report these benefits as receipts on List B, and report expenditures of these funds on List D. Omission of expenses on List D that were not paid by check. Generally, you should not make cash withdrawals. You should use checks whenever possible to document the expenses. If you do pay for something other than by check, save all vouchers, receipts, statements, and other supporting documentation to prove the transaction, in case of questioning or audit. This includes bank charges and cash withdrawals. Bond increase. The bond should be set to cover the unrestricted assets plus the unrestricted income of one accounting period (generally one year). Often, the fiduciary fails to ask for a bond increase when the estate assets have increased from what they were the previous year. How to describe an expense. Reimbursement is not an adequate description for a disbursement. You must state the purpose of the expense, not just that you were paid back. If an expense is incurred pursuant to a Court order, the description of the disbursement should say this, and the date of the Court order. Unusual expenditures with no explanation will be questioned. If there has been an unusual expenditure and/or a substantial change in the expenditures when compared to a prior account, you should provide a written explanation along with the Account. Payments to credit cards and other similar disbursements may be questioned. You should state whether the expenditure was made on existing charges before you took over this administration. If you are using credit, you must report the expenditures made on credit in detail. The court might require you to submit credit card statements for the accounting period and/or from the time you were appointed.