Probate Support Services

If you wish to file a will, we recommend that you contact an attorney. If you wish to file for Informal Probate of a Will, you must be named in the will as Personal Representative, be an heir of the decedent or be a creditor. If you do not have the original will, or if the will is contested, filing for Formal Probate rather than Informal Probate may be required. Please visit our Probate Forms page for information about applicable forms.

A will can be filed with the court only after the person (the testator) has deceased. If a will was filed with the Office of the Clerk of the Superior Court in Pima County, our Probate Services deputy clerks will help you find the related case number. Public Records Services staff will be happy to help you obtain copies of documents filed in the case.

Emergency Minor or Adult Guardianship may be requested for a minor or adult requiring immediate appointment of a guardian by filing a Petition for Temporary Emergency Appointment (with the word "EMERGENCY" shown in the title of the document) along with any other required documents. Please let us know that you are seeking an "EMERGENCY" guardianship.

Minor guardianship is a court process that approves a person to act in place of a parent and take responsibility for a minor. A guardianship may be established for a short time (such as while a legal parent is working out of town or during deployment) or may continue until the minor turns 18. Probate minor guardianship is not the same as legal decision-making and parenting time in a Family Law Dissolution or Separation case, which is handled by our Civil and Family Support Services.

Adult guardianship is a court process that approves a guardian appointment for an adult who is physically or mentally unable to take care of all their own needs and requires someone legally authorized and responsible for acting in their best interests.

Please visit our Probate Forms page for information about applicable forms.

A court order to serve the protected person a copy of the annual report may include other orders and provide other information. Read the court order carefully and comply with the court order. If you have questions about the court order, you may contact the office of the judge who signed the order or contact our office. Contact information for judges is available on the Superior Court website.

A "Proof of Notice" form (to swear or affirm the annual report was delivered or mailed) is available on the Superior Court website under Probate Court > Miscellaneous > Form 37 – Proof of Notice.

If a document has been filed in the Probate case showing that the attorney is representing a party in the case, in most instances, the attorney may be provided online access to that case. If such a document has been filed but the case is not available online, feel free to contact our Probate Support Services and provide the Probate case number, your name, Pima Attorney Number (PAN), and Arizona State Bar number.