Adult guardianship

General information

Guardianship involves the court appointing someone to make decisions for another person because the other person is not capable of managing their own affairs.

Washington LawHelp has an overview of adult guardianship, conservatorship, and other protective arrangements, and the State Court has an Introduction to Guardianship and Conservatorship, Alternatives, and Overview of Petitioning.

Adult guardianship laws changed effective January 1, 2022. If you have a guardianship that was in place prior to that date, or want to learn more about the new law, the Administrative Office of the Courts has information about the transition to the new laws.

Forms and instructions

Forms (and some instructions) for guardianship proceedings are available:

Additional resources

Resources that are available from the State Court include:

The Family and Volunteer Guardian's Handbook answers some questions about the process. It was written for the prior law but offers some valuable general information.

The law library has some specialized forms for Clark County that apply to specific circumstances after a case is filed.

The Clark County Volunteer Lawyers Program has a program to assist you with a guardianship if you meet the income qualifications. They can be reached at 360.695.5313.