Establishing a Guardianship can become very complicated. The basic steps are listed below; however you may need help with this process. You can contact the Self-Help Center or ask a lawyer to help you.
Step 1: Make sure you have all the forms you need
- To establish a Guardianship of the Person or the Estate, you need the forms listed below.
- You can download the forms by clicking on the form number below. You can also access them from the Judicial Council’s Forms page or through the TurboCourt link above.
| Form Number | Name of Form |
|---|---|
| GC-110(P) | Petition for Appointment of Temporary Guardian of the Person (TEMPORARY) |
| GC-140 | Order Appointing Temporary Guardian |
| GC-150 | Letters of Temporary Guardianship or Conservatorship |
| GC-210(P) | Petition for Appointment of Guardian of the Person |
| GC-210(CA) | Guardianship Petition - Child Information Attachment |
| GC-211 | Consent of Proposed Guardian |
| GC-212 | Confidential Guardian Screening Form |
| GC-248 | Duties of Guardian |
| FL-105 | UCCJEA |
| GC-250 | Letters of Guardianship |
| GC-240 | Order Appointing Guardian |
| GC-020 | Notice of Hearing - Guardianship or Conservatorship |
| GC-020(MA) | Attachment to Notice of Hearing Proof of Service by Mail |
| GC-020(P) | Proof of Personal Service of Notice of Hearing |
| 13-16503-360 | Certificate of Assignment (local form) |
| SB-13548 | Referral for CII/DVROS/ICMS Report (local form) |
| SB-18074 | Guardianship Questionnaire (local form) |
| MC-030 | Declaration |
| 13-10840-360 | Request to Excuse Notice with Due Diligence Declaration (local form) |
Step 2: Fill out your forms completely
Samples can be emailed to you by request.
Step 3: File forms with the Probate Clerk’s Office
- Submit the original + 2 copies of ALL the completed paperwork to the clerk’s office in San Bernardino at 247 W. 3rd Street, 2nd Floor. You will need to pay the fee or submit a Request to Waive Court Fees.
- Ensure that the necessary people receive legal notice of the court date and receive a copy of your paperwork.
- Service must be completed at least 15 days prior to your court date.
- If a person signs a Consent form (GC-211), then you don’t need to give them notice.
Step 4: Give notice of the hearing to certain people and agencies
The law says you must “give notice” to certain people, relatives and agencies. This means someone — not you — must “serve” (give) copies of your Court forms either personally or by mail to those people and agencies so they will know you are asking to be the guardian of the child.
You must do this even if you think they don’t care or may disagree with you.
There are rules for giving notice. You must follow them carefully. Otherwise, you may have to go back to Court.