Except in limited circumstances, children generally do not have a right to inherit anything (real property or personal property) from their parents. Laws do vary from state to state and in some states, for example, the head of a household may be prohibited from leaving the family homestead to anyone other than a surviving spouse or minor child if such person is alive.

And most states have laws that protect children (and sometimes grandchildren) against accidental inheritance in certain limited circumstances. These laws usually apply when a child is born after a parent’s will is executed, and because the will leaves property to the child’s siblings, it appears that the parent did not intend to disinherit the new child. In this circumstance the child who was not mentioned in the will may be eligible to inherit a portion of the estate like the child’s siblings. Such an omitted child is also known as a pretermitted child or a pretermitted heir.

In states with pretermitted child laws, the laws are usually located in the state’s statutes—often in the estates code or probate code.

In Arizona, children do not have an automatic right to inherit from their parents, except under certain circumstances. Arizona law, specifically under the Arizona Revised Statutes, provides for the protection of pretermitted or omitted children. A pretermitted child is one who is born or adopted after the execution of a parent's will and is not mentioned in the will, while the will makes provision for other children. Under Arizona law, such a child may be entitled to receive a share of the estate equivalent to what they would have received if the parent had died without a will, unless it appears from the will that the omission was intentional or the child was otherwise provided for. This is to ensure that children are not accidentally disinherited. However, if a parent intentionally wishes to disinherit a child, this must be clearly stated in the will. It's important to note that these provisions do not apply if the child received their inheritance through other means, such as a transfer on death deed or a beneficiary designation.