Most Phoenix-area matters run through Maricopa County, and knowing which county office does what removes a surprising amount of guesswork.
This page provides general information to help you get organized. It is not legal, medical, financial or mental-health advice. Requirements can depend on the estate and the circumstances, so consider confirming anything important with the relevant agency or a qualified professional.
Sleep, food, childcare, pets, medication. Nothing on any checklist matters more in the first day, and almost no paperwork is genuinely urgent.
A will, insurance policies, deeds, titles, recent statements, military discharge papers. Gathering them in one place removes most of the later scrambling.
Usually a named executor or personal representative, or a surviving spouse. Knowing who signs saves weeks of stalled requests.
Most organizations want a certified copy, not a photocopy. Ordering the right number at once is cheaper and faster than going back.
Social Security, employers, pensions, insurers, banks, utilities, landlords. Some can wait weeks. A short list has real deadlines.
Lock an empty home, redirect mail, stop autopay where it makes sense, and note which phones and email accounts hold everything else.
One list, ordered by what actually needs attention this week, shared with the people helping you so nothing is done twice.
Requirements can depend on the estate and the circumstances. Consider confirming the applicable process with the relevant state agency or a qualified professional.
One county office for records, one court division for estates, whichever valley city you live in.
Certified death certificates for deaths in Maricopa County.
Informal and formal probate filings and local procedures.
Statewide forms, including small estate affidavits.
Area Agency on Aging Region One serves Maricopa County with free benefits counselling and a 24-hour senior help line at 602-264-4357. 211 Arizona handles broader community needs.
Free caregiver support, benefits help and a 24-hour help line.
Utility, food, transport and counselling referrals across the valley.
The New Song Center for Grieving Children in Tempe supports children, teens and their families at no cost. Hospice bereavement groups across the valley are generally open to the community.
Free grief programs for valley children, teens and families.
The National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona in Phoenix serves families statewide, and the Arizona Department of Veterans' Services assists survivors with claims.
Burial eligibility and scheduling in Phoenix.
Bring your Arizona questions: the small estate affidavit route, or accounts still held in another state.
Statewide agencies, courts and record offices.
OpenEvery step from the first 72 hours to the first two months, free to download.
OpenForty-five minutes on what actually happens once the funeral is over.
OpenThis page provides general information to help you get organized. It is not legal, medical, financial or mental-health advice. Requirements can depend on the estate and the circumstances, so consider confirming anything important with the relevant agency or a qualified professional.