Petitions for Guardianship

Either the proposed guardian or a parent of the child for whom a guardianship is sought may pick up a Petition for Temporary Letters of Guardianship of Person of Minor from our office. This Georgia Probate Court Standard Form (GPCSF) is also available at the official Georgia Supreme Court website. The petition available at our office has other non-standard forms that will also need to be filled out - a consent form for a criminal background check and a guardian questionnaire.

The petitioner(s) and anyone over 18 years old who is living in the same household where the child will be living must fill out and sign a consent form allowing the Probate Court to receive information concerning their criminal records. The signed, notarized consent form(s) should accompany the application for guardianship when filed. The fee is $20 for each person's criminal record check. A notary and clerks in the Probate Court are available to witness signatures for this purpose.

Learn more about filing the petition.

Fees

The fee for the guardianship is approximately $104.50 and the per page fee is $2. Other fees may apply depending on the documents and notice required under the circumstances. The fees must be paid when the petition is accepted by the court. Acceptable forms of payment for court costs are cash, money order, or check made payable to Probate Court. Fees paid to the Athens newspaper or a sheriff's department must be paid either by check or money order - no cash.

If the guardianship is dissolved at any point, the fee is approximately $30. This fee too must be paid when papers are filed, and an appointment is also necessary. Please call 706-613-3320 if you need further information or have procedural questions. Questions of a legal nature must be directed to an attorney.