Conservatorship of Minor, with Bond

The Petitioner (a natural guardian) is requesting the Court to be appointed Conservator of property belonging to a minor. This type of petition is required for minor children receiving funds that are more than $15,000 from an inheritance or from a settlement. No petition is necessary for a natural guardian to receive any money or property for their child, if the property is worth less than $15,000.00.

This petition must be filed for a person who is not the natural guardian of the child, to become conservator for that child’s property which requires management by a conservator.

Requirements

To begin the process, a petition must be filed seeking conservatorship of the property belonging to a child by the person who wishes to be named conservator. The Initial Filing Fees must be paid upon filing the petition. There is an additional cost if the Court determines a Citation has to be published and/or the Sheriff has to serve notice. The person seeking conservatorship must complete all pages of the petition. The Petition must include signed and notarized acknowledgement and consents from the minor’s nearest relatives whose whereabouts are known and are as follows: (Show parents whose rights have not been terminated; if none, adult siblings of the minor; if none, the grandparents of the minor; if none, any nearest relatives of the minor so that there are three individuals named). If there is more than one child that owns property, you must file a separate petition for each child and pay court costs for each petition. To qualify as a guardian of a minor, you must be a U.S. citizen, permanent resident, or have poof of permanent status in the U.S.

Court Process

The Petition must be filed and the filing fees must be paid upon filing. The court reviews the petition and if everything in the petition looks complete, the clerk calls the petitioner for a hearing date. The clerk determines whether or not a citation has to be issued, prepares any needed citation or notice, and has the same published or served. In some cases, the court will appoint a Guardian Ad Litem to represent the minor. The Judge can elect to have a background check done on the potential conservator. At the hearing, the petitioner(s) will appear in Court and upon the Judge’s determination , the Order and Oath are taken and the bond amount set. After a Bond is filed, the Letters of Conservatorship are signed. You may need to file a Personal Status Report, Inventory and Annual Returns.

Any balance of court costs must be paid prior to the Order and Letters of Conservatorship being issued.