Free Guardian Information Sheet (Minor) - District of Columbia

GUARDIAN INFORMATION SHEET (MINOR) Proceedings with respect to the administration of the estate of a minor (a person who has not attained age 18) are commenced by the filing of a petition for letters of guardianship and any requested related papers, in proper form, with the Probate Division of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia. There are no pre-printed forms for the guardianship papers. Rather, typewritten pleadings in accordance with the Rules of the Court are required. Guardianship proceedings are governed by Chapter I of Title 21 of the 2001 Edition of the District of Columbia Code. Superior Court Probate Division Rule 108 also applies to guardianships. The Probate Division Rules may be found in the District of Columbia Court Rules Annotated, published by the Lexis Publishing Company, Charlottesville, Virginia, or in the compendium of the Rules of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia, published by the Rules Service Company, Chevy Chase, Maryland. The rules are also available for purchase from the Washington Law Reporter Company, 1001 Connecticut Avenue, NW, Suite 238, Washington, DC, 20036-5504, 202331-1700. Please be advised that when the appropriate papers have been prepared for filing, the petitioner (i.e., the person seeking to be appointed guardian), the minor (if school-age), and counsel-of-record must appear before a Deputy Register of Wills for a brief interview. Volume 3 of the treatise Probate Court Practice in the District of Columbia (Second Edition 1952), authored by Victor S. Mersch, may be consulted for additional guidance. Please be advised that neither the Register of Wills nor any member of her staff is permitted to give legal advice with respect to any guardianship proceeding. Should assistance be required in preparing or completing petitions for letters of guardianship or any other pleadings or papers for filing in the Probate Division, the help of a member of the District of Columbia Bar should be sought. Neither the Register of Wills nor any member of her staff is permitted to recommend lawyers. Should assistance in securing the services of a lawyer be required, one may wish to consult the Lawyer Referral Information Service of the D.C. Bar, 202-331-4365.