Self-Help Probate Guardianship
Probate Guardianship
A Probate Guardianship is when the Court appoints an adult who is not the child’s parent to take care of the child and/or the child’s property.
Probate Court can only grant a Probate Guardianship if the child is not involved in a Family Court or Juvenile Court action.
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About Guardianships
There are two kinds of Probate Guardianship: Guardianship of the Person and Guardianship of the Estate. Read about the differences, and more general guardianship info.
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Are You Ready?
This page answers questions such as: Do you want legal responsibility for the child? How will the guardianship affect you? Your finances? Will there be problems with the child's relatives?
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Becoming a Guardian
This page has a lot of information about what you need to do to become a child's guardian in California if the child does not have a parent who can act as parent to the child.
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Guardianship Checklist
Establishing a Guardianship is complicated. The basic steps are listed on this page, along with suggestions for getting help.
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Guardianship Duties
After you become guardian, you have most of the same legal duties and responsibilities as a parent. What happens after the hearing?
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Guardianship Forms
To establish a Guardianship of the Person or the Estate, you need the forms are are linked and can be downloaded from this page.
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Guardianship vs Adoption
Read about some important differences between guardianship and adoption.
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How to End Guardianships
Find out when a guardianship ends, if you can resign, and what the Court's role is in ending a guardianship.
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Pros and Cons
More things to consider, including whether you can act as a child’s caretaker without being the guardian.