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The End of Life Plannerby Valoren

General information · not a substitute for the advice of an attorney.

Free · general informationArkansas

Probate in Arkansas

What Arkansas’s own law and courts say about probate, from how an estate comes before the court to when creditors must claim. Nothing on this page decides whether a particular estate needs probate. That question belongs to the court, or to an attorney in Arkansas.

  • Every fact dated, in the official words
  • Each state’s own law

Every quotation checked October 24, 2026

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Every quotation on this page is the official body’s own words, as they stood on the day we read them. The date is beside each one.

Which court: the probate division of the circuit court, in the statute’s own notice form

with the clerk of the probate division of the circuit court of

Arkansas · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Act 526 of 2015, statutory notice caption

The order in which letters are granted, and the surviving spouse’s time to petition

Domiciliary letters testamentary or of general administration may be granted to one (1) or more of the natural or corporate persons mentioned in this section who are not disqualified, in the following order of priority:

(1) To the executor or executors nominated in the will;

(2) To the surviving spouse, or his or her nominee, upon petition filed during a period of thirty (30) days after the death of the decedent;

Arkansas · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Ark. Code §28-48-101(a), as restated by Act 844 of 2015

Who is disqualified from receiving letters, from the statute’s list

(2) Of unsound mind;

(3) A convicted and unpardoned felon, either under the laws of the United States or of any state or territory of the United States;

(5) A person whom the court finds unsuitable; or

Arkansas · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Ark. Code §28-48-101(b), as restated by Act 844 of 2015

Depositing a will with the circuit court during life: the fee, and the certificate of deposit

A will may be deposited by the person making it, or by some person for him or her, with the circuit court of the county of his or her residence, to be safely kept until delivered or disposed of as provided in this section.

($5.00)

as established under § 21-6-413(a)(4), the clerk of the court shall receive and keep the will and give a certificate of deposit for it.

Arkansas · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Ark. Code §28-25-108(a), as amended by Act 272 of 2023

The same page for other states

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FAQ

Common questions

with the clerk of the probate division of the circuit court of

Arkansas · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Act 526 of 2015, statutory notice caption

Domiciliary letters testamentary or of general administration may be granted to one (1) or more of the natural or corporate persons mentioned in this section who are not disqualified, in the following order of priority:

(1) To the executor or executors nominated in the will;

(2) To the surviving spouse, or his or her nominee, upon petition filed during a period of thirty (30) days after the death of the decedent;

Arkansas · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Ark. Code §28-48-101(a), as restated by Act 844 of 2015

Domiciliary letters testamentary or of general administration may be granted to one (1) or more of the natural or corporate persons mentioned in this section who are not disqualified, in the following order of priority:

(1) To the executor or executors nominated in the will;

(2) To the surviving spouse, or his or her nominee, upon petition filed during a period of thirty (30) days after the death of the decedent;

Arkansas · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Ark. Code §28-48-101(a), as restated by Act 844 of 2015

(2) Of unsound mind;

(3) A convicted and unpardoned felon, either under the laws of the United States or of any state or territory of the United States;

(5) A person whom the court finds unsuitable; or

Arkansas · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Ark. Code §28-48-101(b), as restated by Act 844 of 2015

A will may be deposited by the person making it, or by some person for him or her, with the circuit court of the county of his or her residence, to be safely kept until delivered or disposed of as provided in this section.

($5.00)

as established under § 21-6-413(a)(4), the clerk of the court shall receive and keep the will and give a certificate of deposit for it.

Arkansas · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Ark. Code §28-25-108(a), as amended by Act 272 of 2023

For anyone who would rather their family found it all in one place than went looking.

A couple. A parent. An adult child and a parent, doing it together. One sitting starts it; keep it current, and tell someone where it is.

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