The laws surrounding Minor Guardianship have changed drastically in the past few years. Formerly known as Non-Parental Custody, Minor Guardianship is the legal pathway to act as a legal guardian for a child who is not your own. Washington now has laws that give you these powers on a temporary basis (only 60 days) or until the child turns 18. These are respectively referred to as Emergency Minor Guardianship and full Minor Guardianship.

The process to become a guardian to a minor can be relatively straightforward but includes many forms and timelines. To highlight these procedures, and to give tips on best practice, the King County Law Library has partnered with the King County Superior Court Ex Parte department to lead a webinar on the topic.

This sixty-minute presentation will review the paperwork required for both Minor Guardianship and Emergency Minor Guardianship, highlight resources, and include time for Q&A with the Ex Parte department, which oversees guardianship matters.

TOPICS:

• What is a minor guardianship?
• What is an emergency guardianship?
• What changed in 2021
• Procedures
• Responding to a minor guardianship
• Scheduling hearings
• How the Zoom process will work
• Q&A