What would probate cost your family?
When an Arizona estate goes through probate, the courts, attorneys, and appraisers all get paid before your family does. Answer four questions to see an estimate built from published Arizona fee schedules - no signup, nothing leaves your browser.
Educational estimate from the published sources below. Not a quote, and not legal advice.
How Arizona probate costs actually work
There is no single "probate fee." The total your family would pay is a stack of separate charges, and only the first one is fixed: the court's filing fee. After that come certified copies, publication of notice in a newspaper, recording fees, appraisals where needed, bond premiums when the court requires one, and - the largest line by far - professional fees. Arizona does not cap attorney fees at a percentage; it requires them to be "reasonable," and published Arizona fee guides put a typical uncontested probate at $5,000 to $15,000 in attorney time.
Two forces push the number up. Size: more assets mean more inventory, more appraisal, more hours billed. Friction: a contested will, an out-of-state property, a missing heir, or a family disagreement each add months, and months are billed. The same house that passes by beneficiary deed for the cost of recording a document can generate five figures in professional fees inside a probate.
The clock matters as much as the money. Arizona law holds every estate open at least 4 months for creditor claims, and a typical informal probate runs 6 to 12 months. Through all of it the estate pays the house's insurance, taxes, and upkeep while nobody can access the accounts.
Filing fees by county
The door charge to open an informal probate, from each county clerk's current published schedule:
| County | Initial probate filing fee | Court guide |
|---|---|---|
| Maricopa (Phoenix) | $306 | Maricopa County probate court |
| Pima (Tucson) | $366 | Pima County probate court |
Fees are set under A.R.S. § 12-284 plus county additions and change periodically - each county guide links the clerk's current schedule.
Common questions
Is probate always required in Arizona?
No. Estates at or under $200,000 in personal property and $300,000 in Arizona real estate can pass by small-estate affidavit, and assets with their own routes - trusts, beneficiary designations, beneficiary deeds, survivorship title - skip probate regardless of size. The catch: at a median Maricopa listing price of $516,500, the house alone usually puts an unplanned estate over the limit.
Who pays the probate costs?
The estate does - which means your heirs do, before they receive anything. Court fees, professional fees, and administration costs all come off the top.
Does having a will avoid probate?
No - this is the most common misunderstanding in estate planning. A will is the script probate follows, not a way around it. Avoiding probate takes routing: see every legal route.
Is this calculator a quote?
No. It is an educational estimate built from the published sources below, and every estate is different. It exists so you can see the shape of the cost before deciding what to do about it.
Where these numbers come from
Figures last verified 2026-07-26. Small-estate limits are $200,000 for personal property and $300,000 for Arizona real estate.
- A.R.S. § 14-3971 (small estate collection by affidavit)
- Maricopa County Clerk of Superior Court - filing fee schedule
- Published Arizona attorney fee guides (on file; ranges current as of 2025-2026)