Procedures: Preparing For And Attending The Court Hearing

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: Preparing For And Attending The Court Hearing 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:

Atticus Fast Facts About Procedures: Preparing For And Attending The Court Hearing

Sometimes it’s tough to find a quick summary— here’s the important details you should know about Procedures: Preparing For And Attending The Court Hearing:

• 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 pbga80pz - Procedures: Preparing For And Attending The Court Hearing 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 pbga80pz, 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 pbga80pz 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 pbga80pz 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: Preparing For And Attending The Court Hearing 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.

Need help getting in touch with a local probate court or identifying a domicile probate jurisdiction?

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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 pbga80pz 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 pbga80pz, and when in doubt— consult a qualified trust & estates lawyer for that area.

Procedures: Preparing For And Attending The Court Hearing 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 pbga80pz - Procedures: Preparing For And Attending The Court Hearing 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: Preparing For And Attending The Court Hearing 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 pbga80pz - Procedures: Preparing For And Attending The Court Hearing. You can use this to get an idea of the context of the form and what type of information is needed.

SELF-SERVICE CENTER PROCEDURES: PREPARING FOR AND ATTENDING THE COURT HEARING for PERMANENT APPOINTMENT of a GUARDIAN for an ADULT or a person at least 17.5 to become effective at 18 STEP 1 DOCUMENTS TO PREPARE BEFORE THE COURT HEARING: A. HEALTH PROFESSIONAL’S REPORT: IF a physician, registered nurse, or psychologist was appointed to examine the proposed protected person, the examiner should have received the “GUIDELINES FOR HEALTH PROFESSIONAL’S REPORT” (PBGCA15f) and prepared a report on the findings either on the form supplied with the Guidelines, or in any other format that conveys the necessary information. After the Petitioner receives the examination report*, he or she must: • Make at least 4 copies of this report (keep one copy for his/her records), and • Mail a copy of the written report at least 10 business days before the hearing, or hand-deliver a copy at least 5 business days before the hearing, to: 1) The Judge/Commissioner who will hold the hearing; 2) The attorney for the person you say needs the guardian; AND 3) The court investigator. * Due to concerns about federal patient privacy regulations some medical professionals may not be willing to turn the report over to you since your appointment as guardian or guardian is not yet final. If this is the case, the physician or other evaluator may file the report in person or mail it to the Court (even though the guidelines on the Report form say “Please do not file your report with the Clerk of Court”) . B. ORDER TO GUARDIAN (PBGA80f): The person who is to serve as Guardian must READ AND SIGN the document called ORDER TO GUARDIAN. READ CAREFULLY! SIGNING THIS DOCUMENT INDICATES THAT YOU UNDERSTAND AND AGREE TO ACCEPT LEGAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR OBEYING THE TERMS OF THIS ORDER. • The proposed guardian must sign this Order in the acknowledgement section to indicate his/her understanding and agreement with the terms of the Order, and then make 2 copies. The proposed guardian should keep one copy. C. ORDER OF APPOINTMENT OF PERMANENT GUARDIAN (PBGA81f): • Complete the caption of the Order, which includes the name of the protected person (the Ward) and the case number. • The Judge/Commissioner will fill in the rest of the Order at the hearing and sign it (the Order) if he or she agrees that a guardian should be appointed. NOTE: Write the case number on all documents to be presented to the court! ©Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County PBGA80p-022913 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Page 1 of 3 D. OTHER DOCUMENTS FOR THE JUDGE BEFORE THE HEARING: In addition to the 3 documents listed above, you also need to mail or hand-deliver the following: • NOTICE OF HEARING (PBGC18f), • DECLARATION OF NOTICE PROVIDED (PBGC29f); (from packet 2, “Service of Notice”) and • WAIVER OF NOTICE (PBGC19f) (if applicable) Mail or hand-deliver the original and one copy of the documents listed in A, B, C, and D above to the Judicial Officer who will conduct the hearing. If mailing, it is recommended that you post them 10 full days before the hearing. If delivering in person, do so at least 5 business days before the hearing. STEP 2 (Optional) REQUEST A COURT REPORTER AND/OR INTERPRETER: If you or the person to be protected, the ward, need an interpreter or a court reporter (someone you may hire to make a written record of every word of the hearing), you must inform the staff of the judicial officer who will conduct the hearing, preferably at least 10 days before the hearing but no later than 2 days before the hearing. NOTICE: Effective September 1, 2012, The Arizona Supreme Court requires that every person who is to serve as a guardian, a conservator, or a personal representative [executor] of an estate who is not a state- licensed, professional fiduciary must complete a training program approved by the Supreme Court before Letters of Appointment can be issued by the Clerk of the Court. Training should be completed and a statement that the training has been completed should be brought to (or filed before) the hearing, though additional time to complete the training may be requested for good reason. If you completed the (English-only) online training, you may either print the “Certificate” that appears at the end of each online program or submit the “Declaration of Completion” form included in this packet and which is also included with the Self-Service Center’s printed or online training materials, which are available in both English and Spanish. See the “Notice Regarding Training Requirements” (PBT10i) in this packet for additional information. STEP 3 BRING THESE DOCUMENTS TO THE COURT HEARING: These documents will be filed if the Judicial Officer (Judge or Commissioner) grants the guardianship. Make at least 2 copies to bring with you to the hearing. • ORDER OF APPOINTMENT (PBGA81f) • ORDER TO GUARDIAN and ACKNOWLEDGMENT (PBC80f) • LETTERS OF APPOINTMENT and ACCEPTANCE OF LETTERS (PBC82f). • DECLARATION (or “Certificate”) OF COMPLETION OF TRAINING (PBT80f) AT THE HEARING: • Be prepared to testify about why you think guardianship is needed. • Bring any witnesses you think will help to testify as well. • Bring a copy of everything you already filed with the Court in this matter. ©Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County PBGA80p-022913 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Page 2 of 3 STEP 4 AFTER THE HEARING: A. IMMEDIATELY after the Judge/Commissioner signs the guardianship papers, take the following original documents to the Probate Filing Counter. • Order of Appointment, • Order to Guardian and Acknowledgment, • Letters of Appointment, and the • Declaration (or “Certificate”) of Completion of Training (if not previously filed) Ask the Clerk to issue the LETTERS OF APPOINTMENT. The Clerk will stamp and file the appropriate originals and return copies back to you for your records. Note that the guardian(s) must have completed the court-ordered training program and turn in a “Certificate” or “Declaration of Completion” of that training before the Clerk can issue Letters of Appointment. B. WITHIN 1 YEAR: The guardian must file the first “Annual Report of Guardian.” The first report will report on the protected person’s situation from the date of issuance of the Letters of Appointment through the last day of the ninth (9 th ) month after, and must be filed with the court on or before the anniversary of the date the “Letters of Appointment” were issued. Annual Reports covering each 12 month period after the first must be filed on or before the anniversary date of the issuance of the Letters, each and every year after until the guardianship is terminated by court order. Forms for the first Guardian’s Report, and the annual reports to follow, are available at all Superior Court Self-Service Center locations or online. * *On the web page listed above, look under “Probate Cases” “Guardianship/Conservatorship – General” for “Annual Report of Guardian – case numbers beginning “PB””, as shown below: ©Superior Court of Arizona in Maricopa County PBGA80p-022913 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED Page 3 of 3