A decedent (pronounced da-See-dunt) is a deceased person. This term is commonly used to refer to a deceased person in the law of wills, trusts, and estates.
In Arizona, the term 'decedent' refers to an individual who has passed away. In the context of wills, trusts, and estates law, the decedent is the person whose estate is being managed or distributed after death. Arizona law, under Title 14 of the Arizona Revised Statutes, governs the administration of a decedent's estate, including the probate process, which is the court-supervised procedure for validating a will, paying debts, and distributing the estate to rightful heirs and beneficiaries. If the decedent had a valid will, the estate is distributed according to the wishes expressed in the will. If there is no will, or the will is deemed invalid, the estate is distributed according to Arizona's intestacy laws, which outline the order of inheritance based on the decedent's surviving relatives.