The Guardianship Book for California

Make a difference in the life of a child—become a legal guardian!

Thousands of children in California need legal guardians because their parents have died, abandoned them or are otherwise unable to care for them. The Guardianship Book for California provides everything you need to obtain a legal guardianship without a lawyer.

Get the tools you need to:

• Decide whether to obtain a legal guardianship
• Find out if you are eligible to enroll a minor in school and make medical decisions without becoming a legal guardian
• Use alternate forms if a legal guardianship is not practical
• Obtain a guardianship for finances or for personal and physical care of a minor, or both
• Prepare, file and have guardianship papers served
• Appear before a judge
• Obtain a temporary guardianship in an urgent situation
• Deal with institutions and agencies—with or without a guardianship—schools, medical facilities, insurance companies, public assistance agencies and more
• End a guardianship