Maricopa County, AZ Consumer Law

Tools and Resources for Maricopa County, AZ Consumers

Arizona Inheritance Law & Probate Procedure

• Arizona PROBATE COURT FINDER:
  
  • Probate Court for Maricopa County: Key information about your local probate court (Superior Court in Arizona) for Maricopa County.
• How Probate Works in Arizona: How to handle the probate of an inheritance at Maricopa County's probate court.
  • Here are links to Arizona probate forms from the Arizona probate court website.
• Small Estates Procedures in Arizona: Learn how to use Arizona's Small Estate procedures that can save you time and money.

  • In Washington, you can use an Affidavit if the value of assets subject to probate, less liens and encumbrances, is $100,000 or less. This figure doesn't count surviving spouse's property or partner's community property interest.  40-day waiting period.

    Wash. Rev. Code 11.62.010 and following.

    The court may grant a request for settlement without court intervention if the estate is solvent and:

    • if there's a Will, the personal representative makes a request
    • if there's no Will, the surviving spouse or domestic partner makes the request, and the estate consists entirely of community property, and the decedent let no children or grandchildren from another relationship, or
    • the personal representative is not a creditor of the decedent and the court determines it would be in the best interest of the beneficiaries and creditors.

    Wash. Rev. Code 11.68.011 and following.

• Arizona Estate Taxes:

  • The state of Washington imposes an estate tax on property owned in Washington. If you are inheriting property from the state of Washington, it may be subject to estate tax if the overall value of the estate is more than $2,193,000.

• Avoiding Probate in Arizona. Find out what property bypasses probate death and goes directly to beneficiaries. such as:
  • Transfer on Death Deeds (TODDs)

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Arizona Wage & Hour Law

• Arizona Minimum Wage:  

  • The minimum wage in Washington is $16.28 an hour. Because this is higher than the federal minimum wage of $7.25, employees in The Evergreen State must be paid at least $16.28 an hour. A couple of local governments in Washington have passed ordinances establishing a higher minimum wage.

    Maricopa County Minimum Wage

    The minimum wage in Maricopa County is $16.28 an hour, the state minimum wage. However, cities and counties in Arizona are free to adopt their own higher minimum wage, and dozens of cities and counties across the country have done so. To find out whether Maricopa County has passed its own minimum wage law since we last updated, visit  https://www.maricopa.gov/.

    Phoenix Minimum Wage

    The minimum wage in Phoenix is currently $16.28 an hour, the state minimum wage. However, cities in Arizona are free to adopt their own higher minimum wage, and dozens of cities across the country have done so. To find out whether Phoenix has passed its own minimum wage law since we last updated, visit the city's website at https://www.phoenix.gov/. 

  • Learn more about Washington’s minimum wage at https://lni.wa.gov/workers-rights/wages/minimum-wage/.

• Overtime Pay: Every state has rules about weekly maximum hours and overtime. Learn about the overtime laws in Arizona and whether they apply to you.

  • If you work more than 40 hours in a workweek, your employer must pay you 1-1/2 times your regular hourly wage for each overtime hour you work, unless you are exempt. You can find out more about Washington's overtime rules at the Overtime and Exemptions page of the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries website. 

• Wage Claims: If you're being unlawfully underpaid, you need to learn how to file a "Wage Claim" in Arizona. 

  • The Washington State Department of Labor & Industries has posted information and a form to file a wage claim at its website. 

• Tips : Every state has special pay rates for tipped workers. Find out the rules for tipped workers in Arizona.

  • The tipped minimum wage in Washington is the same as the regular minimum wage: $16.28 an hour. Tips don't count against an employer's obligation to pay the minimum wage. 

• State Labor Board:
  • Learn more about your rights under Arizona law from the Washington State Department of Labor & Industries. 866-219-7321

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Arizona Unemployment Benefits

• Benefit Amounts in Arizona: Learn how unemployment works, how much you'll get, and for how long.
  • In Arizona, unemployment benefits range from $323 per week or your estimated weekly wage, whichever is less to $1,019 per week.
  • Formula:

    In Washington, your weekly benefit amount will be 3.85% of your average quarterly earnings in the two highest paid quarters of the base period. 

  • Duration:

    In Arizona, you can receive unemployment benefits for a maximum of 26 weeks under state law. 

• Eligibility: >Whether you qualify for unemployment.
• How to Apply: How to apply for unemployment in Arizona.
• Unemployment Office Near Me? How to find your local unemployment office.

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Bankruptcy & Debt

• Free Arizona MEANS TEST CALCULATOR for Maricopa County (applies the state and county income and expense standards into your means test calculation. Updated with the latest median income and expense standards for April 1, 2024)
• Free Arizona BANKRUPTCY EXEMPTION FINDER: Search detailed listings of bankruptcy exemptions under Arizona law and Federal law, for use in filing out Schedule C, when you file for bankruptcy. 
• Arizona BANKRUPTCY COURT ESSENTIAL INFO: Get information about using your local bankruptcy court.
• FREE BANKRUPTCY FORMS:
  We'll tell you which bankruptcy forms you need and where to find them.

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Child Custody & Family Courts in Arizona 

• State Standards For Custody Decisions: How Arizona Courts make child custody decisions
• Family Court for Maricopa County: Maricopa County Family Court information, including maps, forms and links.
• Enforcement of Custody Orders: Can you enlist local police to help enforce a custody court order?
• Child Custody Lawyers: To help you handle your child custody matters.

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Arizona Obamacare

• Sign Up: We have the latest on how to sign up for Obamacare Insurance in Arizona!
• Is Health Insurance Mandatory in Arizona? Learn about whether Arizona imposes tax penalties for not having health insurance.
• Special Enrollment Periods: How to enroll because of a "special enrollment period."
• Rates & Providers in Your County: Information and rates for providers for Maricopa County if you live in a state served by Healthcare.gov.

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Democracy In Arizona, Maricopa County, Phoenix 

• Elected Representatives: Find out the websites and phone numbers of those representing you at the Federal, State, County, and City levels of government.
• How to Vote: Learn how to register and where and when to vote in Maricopa County, AZ.
• Gerrymandering in Arizona: Has your state been gerrymandered? Find out how to end gerrymandering and have voters pick politicians, not vice versa.
• Tracking Issues: Organizations that track legislation you care about 

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Find a Lawyer in Maricopa County, AZ

• Our Lawyers by Zipcode section allows users to find a local lawyer using the best online resources, including on topics we don't cover.
• DUI, Criminal Defense
• Auto Accidents & Personal Injury
• Immigration

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