Quick answer: There's no statutory percentage in Arizona. Under A.R.S. § 14-3719, a personal representative is entitled to "reasonable compensation for his services" — in practice, that means an hourly rate (commonly cited around $25-50/hr for a non-professional family fiduciary, more for a licensed professional) multiplied by hours actually worked, itemized to the nearest tenth of an hour. On 40 hours at $40/hr, that's $1,600. Get your own estimate with the Arizona executor fee calculator.
Why Arizona doesn't use a percentage
A.R.S. § 14-3719: the statute simply says "reasonable compensation" — it doesn't set a percentage, a schedule, or a dollar rate. That's a deliberate design choice most states share for attorney extraordinary-fee awards but few use for the base personal-representative fee itself: the estate's size is one factor the court may weigh, not the basis of the calculation. A $200,000 estate that takes 100 hours of genuinely difficult work can justify more compensation than a $2,000,000 estate that took 10 routine hours.
The factors a court actually weighs
Rule 33, Arizona Rules of Probate Procedure, and A.C.J.A. § 3-303: when the court reviews compensation, it must follow Arizona's statewide fee guidelines, which list detailed factors — among them, the usual and customary rate in the professional community, the fiduciary's training and skill, the difficulty and urgency of the tasks, the results achieved, and whether the appointment prevented other work. The guidelines also require itemized, tenth-of-an-hour billing and prohibit "block billing" (lumping multiple tasks into one time entry) and "value billing" (charging based on perceived value rather than time actually spent).
No automatic court review
Unless the court orders it or an interested party formally objects, the personal representative isn't required to submit compensation for court approval before taking it from the estate. That makes it the personal representative's own responsibility to document hours carefully — date, task, and time spent for each entry — since that record is what would support the fee if ever challenged.
The will can set its own amount
§ 14-3719: if the will specifies compensation and there's no separate contract with the decedent, that amount controls — unless the personal representative renounces the will's provision before qualifying (before formally accepting the appointment) and elects reasonable compensation under the statute instead. This window closes once the personal representative has qualified; it isn't a later opt-out.
Worked examples
| Hours | Rate | Estimated compensation |
|---|
| 20 hrs | $30/hr | $600 |
| 40 hrs | $40/hr | $1,600 |
| 75 hrs | $45/hr | $3,375 |
| 150 hrs | $50/hr | $7,500 |
These are illustrative rate examples, not statutory figures — actual reasonable compensation depends on the A.C.J.A. § 3-303 factors applied to your specific case. Model your own hours and rate in the calculator.
Estimate for general guidance only, not legal advice. Based on A.R.S. § 14-3719, Rule 33 (Arizona Rules of Probate Procedure), and A.C.J.A. § 3-303. Arizona sets no statutory percentage or fixed hourly rate; the ranges shown are illustrative, not figures set by law. A will's own compensation terms control unless renounced before the personal representative qualifies. Court approval is not automatic. Verify with the probate court or a licensed Arizona attorney.