Article 3 - Nonrelative Guardianships

California Probate Code — §§ 1540-1543

Sections (4)

Enacted by Stats. 1990, Ch. 79.

This article does not apply in any of the following cases:

(a)Where the petition is for guardianship of the estate exclusively.

(b)Where the proposed guardian is a relative of the proposed ward.

(c)Where the Director of Developmental Services is appointed guardian pursuant to Article 7.5 (commencing with Section 416) of Chapter 2 of Part 1 of Division 1 of the Health and Safety Code.

(d)Where the director of the department designated by the board of supervisors to provide social services is appointed guardian.

(e)Where the public guardian is appointed guardian.

(f)Where the guardianship results from a permanency plan for a dependent child pursuant to Section 366.25 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

§ 1541

Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 612, Sec. 58. (AB 1997) Effective January 1, 2017.

In addition to the other required contents of the petition for appointment of a guardian, the petition shall include both of the following:

(a)A statement by the proposed guardian that, upon request by an agency referred to in Section 1543 for information relating to the investigation referred to in that section, the proposed guardian will promptly submit the information required.

(b)A disclosure of any petition for adoption by the proposed guardian of the minor who is the subject of the guardianship petition regardless of when or where filed.

(c)A statement whether or not

the home of the proposed guardian is a licensed foster family home, a certified family home of a licensed foster family agency, or a resource family home approved by a county or a licensed foster family agency.

§ 1542

Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 319, Sec. 33. (AB 976) Effective January 1, 2018.

In each case involving a petition for guardianship of the person, the petitioner shall deliver pursuant to Section 1215 a notice of the hearing and a copy of the petition, at least 15 days before the hearing, to the Director of Social Services at the director’s office in Sacramento and to the local agency designated by the board of supervisors to investigate guardianships for the court.

§ 1543

Amended by Stats. 2016, Ch. 612, Sec. 59. (AB 1997) Effective January 1, 2017.

(a)If the petition as filed or as amended states that an adoption petition has been filed, a report with respect to the suitability of the proposed guardian for guardianship shall be filed with the court by the agency investigating the adoption. In other cases, the local agency designated by the board of supervisors to provide public social services shall file a report with the court with respect to the proposed guardian of the same character required to be made with regard to an applicant for foster family home licensure, or, on and after January 1, 2020, resource family approval, as described in Section 16519.5 of the Welfare and Institutions Code.

(b)The report filed with the

court pursuant to this section is confidential. The report may be considered by the court and shall be made available only to the persons who have been served in the proceeding and the persons who have appeared in the proceeding or their attorneys. The report may be received in evidence upon stipulation of counsel for all of those persons who are present at the hearing or, if a person is present at the hearing but is not represented by counsel, upon consent of that person.