All minor children must have an adult who is responsible for them. A legal guardianship is created when a court appoints an adult to be responsible for a minor child who isn’t already the adult’s child. The guardian has legal custody of the child and is responsible for taking care of her well-being. The guardian provides food, shelter, health care and takes charge of the minor’s educational and religious development.

There are a couple of common mistaken assumptions about guardianship. For example, some people think that a guardianship can be established informally with just an agreement between the child’s parent(s) and the person they want to act as guardian. This isn’t true – the only way that you can become a legal guardian is through a court order. The other common mistake people make is thinking that when parents name a guardian for their children in a will, that person automatically becomes the guardian if the parents die. Even if you are named as guardian in a deceased parent’s will, you still have to file a petition to be named guardian and ask the court to confirm the parent’s wishes.

If you are an adult who is considering becoming a guardian of a minor child and need to discuss things in order to figure out whether you want to accept the responsibilities and duties of a legal guardian, please contact Law Offices of Liana Nazaryan for a free consultation.