Standing up for the people who need a steady hand
Guardianship
When a child needs a stable home or an aging parent can no longer manage alone, guardianship gives a trusted adult legal authority to help — and we make the court process humane.
Guardianship cases begin with love and worry in equal measure: grandparents raising a grandchild, an adult daughter watching her father's memory fade, parents planning for a child with disabilities who is about to turn eighteen. The court process exists to protect vulnerable people, but its forms and hearings can feel cold. Our job is to carry the procedure so you can carry the person.
We handle both minor guardianships — where a child needs an adult with legal authority for school, medical care, and a stable home — and adult guardianships and conservatorships, where age, illness, or disability has taken away someone's ability to manage safely.
We're equally honest about alternatives. Powers of attorney, supported decision-making, and informal family arrangements are often kinder and cheaper than a court-appointed guardianship. When a lighter tool fits, we'll hand it to you and step back.
What it costs
Fees, in plain sight
| Matter | Fee |
|---|---|
| Guardianship of a minor (uncontested) plus court filing fees | $2,200 flat |
| Adult guardianship or conservatorship (uncontested) plus filing and evaluation fees | $2,600 flat |
| Emergency guardianship filed within 48 hours of engagement | $1,800 flat |
| Contested guardianship | Hourly — $285 partner / $215 associate |
Uncontested guardianships follow a predictable path, so we price them flat. If a family member objects and the matter becomes contested, we'll pause, re-estimate in writing, and talk honestly about whether mediation could bring the family back to one table.
What it looks like
Step by step, at your pace
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Understand what's actually needed
We start by asking whether guardianship is the right tool at all — sometimes a power of attorney or a school authorization form solves the problem in a week.
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Prepare the petition together
We draft the filings, gather the medical or school documentation, and prepare you for the interviews the court may require.
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The hearing, with you the whole way
Most uncontested hearings are short and procedural. We'll rehearse the questions beforehand so nothing surprises you.
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Support after appointment
Guardians owe the court ongoing reports. We set up your reporting calendar and stay one phone call away.
Who you'd work with
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Maya Reyes-Chen
Senior Associate — Custody & Guardianship
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Tom LindqvistAssociate — Wills & Elder Law
Honest answers
Questions families ask us
Does guardianship take away all of a person's rights?
It doesn't have to, and modern courts prefer that it doesn't. Guardianships can be limited to specific decisions — medical, residential, financial — leaving everything else untouched. We draft for the least restriction that keeps your person safe.
We're grandparents raising our grandchild informally. Do we need to make it legal?
Informal arrangements work until they don't — a school enrollment, a surgery consent, an insurance question. Guardianship (or sometimes a simpler delegation of parental authority) gives you the paperwork the world will eventually ask for. We can talk through which fits your family's situation.
Our son has a developmental disability and turns 18 soon. What happens then?
At 18 the law presumes every adult makes their own decisions, regardless of diagnosis. Families typically start the conversation six months ahead: sometimes guardianship is right, and sometimes supported decision-making or powers of attorney respect his independence while keeping him safe. This is one of our most common — and most rewarding — conversations.