A legal guardianship is when a judge decides that a person other than a child’s biological parent will have custody of the child.  Guardianship gives an adult the authority to make decisions for that child that a parent would normally
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A person over 18 years old can be a legal guardian for a person under 18.  Guardians are usually relatives or family friends – responsible people who the child knows well.  The guardian is responsible for the child’s care including
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A child can legally live with other adults without a guardianship if the child has their parent’s permission. Sometimes that kind of arrangement is fine, but some young people need a formal guardianship because their parents treat them badly and
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The child’s parents are still their parents – a guardianship doesn’t change that.  Guardianship suspends parents’ ability to make decisions about the child’s life because the guardian raises the child as their own.  The child can still see their parents,
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Getting a guardianship is done through the Superior Court in your county.  If the child is under 12 years old, the proposed guardian can ask the court to be made the child’s guardian. If the child is 12 or older,
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Guardianship hearings are all different, so there’s no way to know exactly what the hearing would be like.  If the child’s parents, grandparents, and brothers and sisters over the age of 12 agree to the guardianship, the hearings are usually
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No, there is no requirement for the child to be living with the guardian for a certain amount of time when the guardianship is filed or before it is granted.  But the Court will most likely want a plan in
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A guardianship lasts until the child turns 18, gets married, is legally emancipated, or is adopted.  A guardianship can also be ended by a court if the child (who is 12 or older), the guardian, or some other interested party
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Emancipation is a legal process that frees a child who is between the ages of 14-17 from the custody and control of their parent(s) or guardian. Minors can be emancipated if they enter into a valid marriage, are on active
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If you are an undocumented youth and have questions about paths to legal residency, or are at risk of being kicked out of school, go to our Immigration or Education pages on this site to learn more about LSC’s other
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