How long can a temporary guardianship last in Arizona?

An Arizona temporary guardian's authority may not last longer than six months, though the court may allow a longer temporary appointment if it determines that doing so is in the minor's best interest. In Maricopa County, a temporary appointment is requested on the same JG12f petition by checking its 'Temporary Appointment only (6 months or less)' box (A.R.S. section 14-5207(E)).

Does an Arizona guardianship of a minor end a parent's parental rights?

No. A guardianship suspends a parent's decision-making authority while it is in effect; it does not terminate parental rights. A parent may petition the court to end the guardianship on the minor's best-interest standard.

Is there an official Arizona guardianship of a minor form?

There is no single statewide numbered form. Each county's Superior Court publishes its own packet for the same Title 14 petition: Maricopa County's Juvenile Division uses a JG-numbered packet, including the JG12f petition, while Pima County's Probate Court uses a differently numbered G/C packet, including G/C-5. The form used in the county where the petition is filed controls.

Who must be notified of an Arizona guardianship of a minor petition?

Notice must go to a minor who is at least fourteen, to the person who has had the minor's principal care and custody during the preceding sixty days, and to any living parent, unless a due-diligence search cannot locate a living parent and the minor is at least sixteen and not the subject of an open Title 8 dependency case. Notice generally goes out at least fourteen days before the hearing, or by published notice at least three times if a person cannot be located (A.R.S. sections 14-5207(A), 14-1401(A)).

Can an Arizona court appoint a guardian without every parent's consent?

Only if a court already ended the parent-child legal relationship for each living parent in a separate proceeding, or the minor is at least sixteen, is not the subject of an open Title 8 dependency case, and the court finds by a preponderance of the evidence that no parent is willing or able to exercise a guardian's powers and duties. Otherwise, each living parent must consent (A.R.S. section 14-5204(A)). Maricopa County's self-help page warns that if either parent files papers opposing a guardianship, it will not be granted.

Does a child have to consent to an Arizona guardianship?

No statute requires a minor's affirmative consent to the guardianship at any age. Turning fourteen instead triggers a right to notice of the petition, a right to block a parent's testamentary guardian nomination by written objection, and a right to nominate a guardian for the court's consideration (A.R.S. sections 14-5203, 14-5206(A), 14-5207(A)).

Is a background check required for an Arizona guardian of a minor?

A fingerprint-based criminal background check is mandatory only when the proposed guardian is not related to the minor. The applicant submits fingerprints to the Arizona Department of Public Safety for an FBI exchange, at the applicant's cost. Every proposed guardian, related or not, must also file a sworn disclosure of prior felony convictions and other guardian or conservator appointments (A.R.S. sections 14-5206(B), 14-5106).

Is a bond required for a guardian of a minor in Arizona?

Not automatically for a guardian of the person alone. A bond is required only if the guardian comes into possession or control of the minor's funds or other property, and then only if the court requires it. Even then, the court may reduce or eliminate the bond for good cause, and institutional fiduciaries are exempt from bond entirely (A.R.S. sections 14-5105, 14-5411).

What if a child is in danger right now in Arizona?

If a child faces abuse, neglect, or immediate danger, contact the child protective agency or local law enforcement, and consider the protective order process. A guardianship petition by itself is not an emergency safety intervention.

Is an Arizona guardianship the right process for a custody dispute between parents?

No. A dispute between a child's own parents over custody or parenting time is handled through a custody or parenting-plan process, not through a guardianship petition.

Arizona Guardianship of a Minor Petition

Arizona hears this Title 14 petition in Superior Court, where Maricopa County uses its own numbered JG form and Pima County uses a differently numbered G/C form for the identical petition, gates appointment on parental consent rather than a best-interest override, caps a temporary guardian at six months, and requires a fingerprint background check only when the proposed guardian is not related to the child.

Find out where you stand in Arizona

Where are you with the guardianship?

DocDraft provides document preparation, not legal advice.

Introduction

In Arizona, a relative or other adult petitions the Superior Court for appointment as guardian of a minor under A.R.S. Title 14, Chapter 5, Article 2. This guardianship covers only the child's person; managing the child's money or property is a separate conservatorship case under A.R.S. section 14-5401. Arizona has no statewide petition form: Maricopa County uses its own numbered JG packet and Pima County uses a differently numbered G/C packet for the identical petition, and the county's form controls. A temporary guardian may be appointed, capped at six months unless the court finds a longer temporary appointment serves the child's best interest. The court may appoint a guardian only if it is in the child's best interest and either each living parent consents, a court already ended the parent-child legal relationship in a separate case, or the child is at least sixteen, is not the subject of an open Title 8 dependency case, and has no parent willing or able to serve. A minor at least fourteen must be given notice, and notice to a parent generally goes out at least fourteen days before the hearing. A fingerprint background check applies only when the proposed guardian is not related to the child, and a bond is required only if the guardian will hold the child's funds or property. Guardianship does not terminate parental rights and is not adoption; a parent may later ask the court to end it. A parent may instead sign a delegation of parental powers by power of attorney for up to six months without going to court. Attorney review is available before you file.

Key Things to Know

1
Arizona guardianship of a minor is filed in Superior Court under A.R.S. Title 14, Chapter 5, Article 2. There is no single statewide petition form: Maricopa County's Juvenile Division uses its own numbered JG packet (for example, the JG12f petition), while Pima County's Probate Court uses a differently numbered G/C packet (G/C-5) for the identical petition, and the county's form controls.
2
The court may appoint a guardian only if appointment is in the minor's best interest and one of three conditions holds: each living parent consents after being fully informed, a court already ended the parent-child legal relationship for each living parent in a separate proceeding, or the minor is at least sixteen, is not the subject of an open Title 8 dependency case, and no parent is willing or able to exercise a guardian's powers (A.R.S. section 14-5204(A)).
3
A temporary guardian's authority may not last longer than six months, though the court may allow a longer temporary appointment if it determines that doing so is in the minor's best interest. In Maricopa County, a temporary appointment is requested on the same JG12f petition by checking its 'Temporary Appointment only (6 months or less)' box (A.R.S. section 14-5207(E)).
4
Notice must go to a minor who is at least fourteen, to the person who has had the minor's principal care and custody during the preceding sixty days, and to any living parent unless a due-diligence search cannot locate the parent and the minor is at least sixteen and not the subject of an open dependency case. Notice generally goes out at least fourteen days before the hearing (A.R.S. sections 14-5207(A), 14-1401(A)).
5
No statute requires a minor's affirmative consent to the guardianship at any age. Turning fourteen instead triggers a right to notice, a right to block a parent's testamentary guardian nomination by written objection, and a right to nominate a guardian, which the court will appoint unless it finds that contrary to the minor's best interest (A.R.S. sections 14-5203, 14-5206(A), 14-5207(A)).
6
A fingerprint-based criminal background check, submitted to the Arizona Department of Public Safety for an FBI exchange at the applicant's cost, is mandatory only when the proposed guardian is not related to the minor. Every proposed guardian, related or not, must also file a sworn disclosure of prior felony convictions and other guardian or conservator appointments (A.R.S. sections 14-5206(B), 14-5106).
7
Guardianship does not terminate a parent's parental rights; the parent's decision-making authority is suspended while the guardianship is in effect, and a parent may petition the court to end the guardianship on the minor's best-interest standard. A parent may instead delegate care, custody, or property powers to another adult by a power of attorney for a period not exceeding six months, without going to court (A.R.S. sections 14-5210, 14-5212, 14-5104).

Key decisions before you file

Before you file a Guardianship of a Minor Petition in Arizona, a few decisions shape the document: which option to choose and what each one means. The Guardianship of a Minor Petition guide walks through them.

Open the Guardianship of a Minor Petition guide

Customize your Guardianship of a Minor Petition Template with DocDraft

STATE OF ARIZONA SUPERIOR COURT OF ARIZONA, COUNTY OF [COUNTY]

IN THE MATTER OF THE GUARDIANSHIP OF [CHILD'S FULL NAME], A MINOR

CASE NO. [CASE NUMBER]

PETITION FOR APPOINTMENT OF GUARDIAN OF A MINOR

This petition is filed on the form prescribed by the Superior Court in the county of filing, for example Maricopa County Form JG12f or Pima County Form G/C-5, and that county's form controls.

TO THE HONORABLE COURT:

PETITIONER Petitioner, [PETITIONER NAME], resides at [PETITIONER ADDRESS] and is the minor's [RELATIONSHIP TO THE MINOR]. Petitioner requests appointment as guardian of the person of the minor named below. Petitioner does not seek appointment as conservator of the minor's estate under this petition.
THE MINOR [CHILD'S FULL NAME], born [DATE OF BIRTH], currently resides at [CHILD'S CURRENT ADDRESS] in [COUNTY] County, Arizona. The minor is [AGE] years old.
PARENTS AND CUSTODY The minor's parents are [MOTHER'S FULL NAME], residing at [MOTHER'S ADDRESS OR LAST KNOWN WHEREABOUTS], and [FATHER'S FULL NAME], residing at [FATHER'S ADDRESS OR LAST KNOWN WHEREABOUTS]. The status of each parent, including whether living, whether each parent consents to this appointment, and whether a court has already ended the parent-child legal relationship for that parent, is as follows: [STATUS OF EACH PARENT AND WHETHER EACH CONSENTS]. The person who has had the minor's principal care and custody during the sixty days before this petition is [NAME AND RELATIONSHIP OF PRINCIPAL CAREGIVER].
NECESSITY FOR GUARDIANSHIP Appointment of a guardian is necessary because [DESCRIPTION OF WHY THE PARENTS CANNOT CARE FOR THE MINOR AND WHY GUARDIANSHIP IS IN THE MINOR'S BEST INTEREST].
QUALIFICATIONS OF PROPOSED GUARDIAN Petitioner is [RELATED TO THE MINOR AS FOLLOWS, OR NOT RELATED TO THE MINOR]. If Petitioner is not related to the minor, Petitioner will submit a full set of fingerprints to the Arizona Department of Public Safety for a criminal background investigation as A.R.S. section 14-5206(B) requires. Petitioner's sworn disclosure under A.R.S. section 14-5106, including any prior felony convictions and any other current or terminated guardian or conservator appointments, is filed with this petition.
TEMPORARY GUARDIANSHIP Petitioner [REQUESTS OR DOES NOT REQUEST] appointment as temporary guardian under A.R.S. section 14-5207(E). Petitioner understands that the authority of a temporary guardian may not last longer than six months, unless the court determines a longer temporary appointment is in the minor's best interest.
BOND Petitioner [REQUESTS THAT BOND BE SET UNDER A.R.S. SECTIONS 14-5105 AND 14-5411, OR REPRESENTS THAT BOND IS NOT REQUIRED BECAUSE PETITIONER WILL NOT HOLD THE MINOR'S FUNDS OR PROPERTY].
RELIEF REQUESTED Petitioner requests that the court appoint Petitioner guardian of the person of the minor named above, set bond as the court finds appropriate, and grant such other relief as the court deems proper.

VERIFICATION

STATE OF ARIZONA COUNTY OF [COUNTY]

[PETITIONER NAME], being duly sworn, states that Petitioner has read the foregoing petition and that its contents are true and correct to Petitioner's knowledge.

[SIGNATURE] [PETITIONER NAME] [ADDRESS] [CITY, ARIZONA ZIP] [PHONE] [EMAIL]

Subscribed and sworn to before me on [DATE].

[NOTARY SIGNATURE] Notary Public, State of Arizona

Arizona Requirements for Guardianship of a Minor Petition

County Sets the Form Number, Not the State
Arizona has no statewide numbered petition form. Maricopa County's Juvenile Division uses its own JG-numbered packet (including the JG12f petition), and Pima County's Probate Court uses a differently numbered G/C packet (including G/C-5) for the identical Title 14 petition, and the county's form controls.
Guardianship of the Person Only
This petition covers guardianship of the minor's person. Managing the minor's money or property is a separate conservatorship proceeding under A.R.S. section 14-5401, not part of this petition.
Parental Consent Gates Appointment
The court may appoint a guardian only if appointment is in the minor's best interest and each living parent consents, a court already ended the parent-child legal relationship for each living parent in a separate proceeding, or the minor is at least sixteen with no parent willing or able to serve and no open Title 8 dependency case (A.R.S. section 14-5204(A)).
Six-Month Cap on Temporary Guardianship
A temporary guardian's authority may not last longer than six months, unless the court determines a longer temporary appointment is in the minor's best interest (A.R.S. section 14-5207(E)).
Fourteen-Day Notice Before Hearing
Notice to a parent or other interested person generally must be mailed or delivered at least fourteen days before the hearing, or published at least three times with the first publication at least fourteen days before the hearing (A.R.S. section 14-1401).
Fingerprint Background Check for Unrelated Guardians
A proposed guardian who is not related to the minor must submit a full set of fingerprints for a criminal background investigation through the Arizona Department of Public Safety, at the applicant's cost (A.R.S. section 14-5206(B)).
Bond Only if the Guardian Holds the Minor's Property
Bond is not automatic for a guardian of the person alone. It is required only if the guardian comes into possession or control of the minor's funds or property and the court requires it; the court may reduce or eliminate it for good cause, and institutional fiduciaries are exempt (A.R.S. sections 14-5105, 14-5411).
Six-Month Parental Power-of-Attorney Alternative
A parent may delegate care, custody, or property powers over the minor to another adult by a power of attorney for a period not exceeding six months, without filing anything in court (A.R.S. section 14-5104).

Find out where you stand in Arizona

Introduction

Key Things to Know

Key decisions before you file

Customize your Guardianship of a Minor Petition Template with DocDraft

Arizona Requirements for Guardianship of a Minor Petition

County Sets the Form Number, Not the State

Guardianship of the Person Only

Parental Consent Gates Appointment

Six-Month Cap on Temporary Guardianship

Fourteen-Day Notice Before Hearing

Fingerprint Background Check for Unrelated Guardians

Bond Only if the Guardian Holds the Minor's Property

Six-Month Parental Power-of-Attorney Alternative

Frequently Asked Questions