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The End of Life Plannerby Valoren

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

Free · general informationArkansas

What to do when someone dies in Arkansas

The first things Arkansas’s own law asks for after a death, quoted word for word, then the pages for everything that follows, in the order it usually comes. Nothing here decides what a particular family must do. That belongs to the office named, the court, or 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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The free first-week checklist

Pages taken from the planner, by email: who to phone first, and a blank records sheet.

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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.

The medical certification: who completes it, and how soon

Registering the death comes first. These are Arkansas’s own words on who files the record, and how soon.

The medical certification shall be completed, signed, and returned to the funeral director within three (3) business days after receipt of the death certificate by the physician or certified nurse midwife in charge of the patient's care for the illness or condition that resulted in death

Arkansas · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Ark. Code §20-18-601(c)(1)(A)(i), as amended by Act 138 of 2025, §3

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

The will has its own rules. These are Arkansas’s own words on who brings it to the court after a death, and what the court does with it.

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

The medical certification shall be completed, signed, and returned to the funeral director within three (3) business days after receipt of the death certificate by the physician or certified nurse midwife in charge of the patient's care for the illness or condition that resulted in death

Arkansas · general information · checked October 24, 2026 · Ark. Code §20-18-601(c)(1)(A)(i), as amended by Act 138 of 2025, §3

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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