Ordinarily, the funds of a minor are not to be used for the support of the minor because parents are responsible for support. Therefore there should be no emergencies. If an emergency does occur and the guardian spends money without prior Court approval, the guardian can file a petition for ratification (approval) of the expenditure but will be personally responsible for repaying the money if the Court does not ratify (approve) the expenditure.

No. However, a conservator must file an inventory and annual accounts, so if the ward has few or no assets, a conservatorship may not be needed or appropriate.

The parents of the minor have priority under the law in the District of Columbia to serve as the guardian of a minor, and a custodial parent is more likely to be appointed as a guardian than a noncustodial parent. If custody of the child has been granted to a nonparent by the Court, that custodian is more likely to be appointed than the parents.

A minor who is fourteen or older has the right to nominate a guardian.

Other possibilities depend on the facts of the situation. Consult an attorney for advice.

Bond protects the assets of the minor. A guardian of a minor must be bonded in the amount of the assets that the guardian will be holding plus one year’s worth of income from those assets. If the guardian misappropriates the assets, the bonding company will reimburse the estate of the minor in the amount that was mishandled up to the value of the bond. Superior Court is not likely to appoint anyone who cannot obtain bond as a guardian.

In accordance with the law in the District of Columbia, a guardian may establish a residence for the ward outside the District of Columbia.

No, the Judge to whom a report is forwarded cannot be selected by anyone. Each Report of Guardian will be forwarded to the Judge assigned to that particular ward’s intervention case.

Although the Report of Guardian can be handwritten, guardians are strongly advised to use the interactive form on the website to type the report and print it out for filing. If the Report of Guardian form is typed or saved to a personal computer, it can be updated with any changes every six months, printed, and filed.

The Probate staff is available to take the oath required on the petition for a general proceeding or the Report of Guardian.