How to file forms with the court
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Take your forms to the court clerk
You generally file the papers in county court where the child lives. If there's a court case about the child in another county (like an adoption or custody case), you will need to file there.
Guardianships are filed in probate court. Check the Find My Court page to find the courthouse that accepts probate filings.
At the courthouse, you’ll file the forms you filled out by giving the original and the 2 copies to the clerk.
The clerk will give you a case number and stamp the forms. They will write a court date on the Notice form.
The court will keep the original and return the copies to you. One is for you, the others are for the child's parents.
You will need to make more copies of the Notice with the court date to send to the child's relatives, like their grandparents, aunts, and uncles.
Yes, you can file by mail. Mail the original and 3 copies to the clerk. You need to include the filing fee (or request for a fee waiver) and a self-addressed stamped envelope so the clerk can mail your copies back to you. Make sure to include enough postage. If you do not include a self-addressed stamped envelope you will have to go to the courthouse to pick up your copies.
Some courts allow online filing. You can find out if your court has online filing by visiting your court’s website. -
Pay a filing fee
You’ll need to pay a fee of $225 to the clerk when you file your forms. If you are asking to also be a guardian of the child's estate, the fee will be more.
If the child can't afford the fee, you can ask the clerk for a fee waiver. You qualify for a fee waiver if:
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The child receives public benefits
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The child's income is less than a set amount
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The child can’t afford the fee and meet their basic needs
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Become a guardian
What's next?
Once you’ve filed the forms, the next step is to share the forms with the child's parents and family members. You need to follow a specific process to do this called serving papers.