Guardianships provide minors in need with an advocate for their physical, emotional and financial well-being. If you are considering being the legal guardian of a minor, you would be well-advised to speak with a reliable family law lawyer to understand the implications and responsibilities of becoming a guardian. At Contreras Law Firm in San Diego, we have helped countless clients through the guardianship process.
How Does A Guardianship Work?
As a guardian, you are responsible for a minor’s well-being, including food, shelter, education, health care, and their overall physical and mental well-being. Through guardianship, you do not retain permanent care over a minor. While your role as guardian will be similar to the role of a parent while the minor is under your care, only adoption can gain you full parental rights.
Guardianship requires filing certain documentation with the court, which can take time to review. Understanding how this all works can be somewhat confusing. There are basically two types of guardianships that apply to minors in California:
- Guardianship of a person
- Guardianship of a minor’s estate
Most guardianship proceedings concern the guardianship of a person. This means you have legal custody of the child and are responsible for providing for his or her well-being. If the child’s estate does not exceed $5,000, you will have control over the child’s assets as well. If the estate exceeds $5,000, this is where the guardianship of a minor’s estate would apply. You need to be appointed as guardian of the minor’s estate to be able to manage the child’s assets.
Schedule Your Free Consultation
If you need assistance with a concern related to the guardianship of a minor, please call our attorneys at 619-238-0616 or send us an email to arrange your free consultation. We can immediately begin taking the steps necessary to help you complete this process in a timely manner.