I need guardianship of an adult or a child
A guardian is someone the court appoints to make personal decisions, money decisions, or both, for an adult who can't manage them or for a child whose parents can't care for them. In Clark County guardianship forms and help come from the Family Law Self-Help Center, not the civil one. Here is where to start, every form, and where to file.
What to do first
1. Check whether you need a guardianship at all. A guardianship puts you under
court supervision for as long as it lasts. Lighter options may do the job: a power
of attorney, a supported decision-making agreement, a living will or advance directive, a trust,
a Social Security representative payee, or, for a child, a six-month informal temporary
guardianship. See Alternatives below, and try the court's
Guardianship Decision Tool (PDF).
2. Decide what kind. A guardian of the person decides where the
person lives and handles food, clothing, medical care, transportation and schooling. A guardian
of the estate manages money and property and must account to the court every
year. You can ask for one or both (NRS 159.017 for adults, NRS 159A.017 for children).
3. Fill out the starting forms. Adults and children use different packets,
listed under Forms below. For an adult, the court's free guided interview can
fill them in for you:
nevada.tylertech.cloud/SRL/SRL.
For an adult you also need a physician's certificate.
4. File, then serve the citation. File at either clerk's office listed below,
or e-file. For an adult, the citation must be handed to the person personally at least 10 days
before the hearing (NRS 159.0475). The court will appoint a lawyer for the adult unless they
already have one of their own (NRS 159.0485).
5. Go to the hearing. Guardianship hearings for Eighth Judicial District Court
cases are held at the Regional Justice Center, 200 Lewis Ave. If the judge appoints you, use the
Letters of Guardianship and guardian acknowledgment forms below.
Deadlines
| What | Deadline | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Serve the citation on the adult | In person, at least 10 days before the hearing (20 days if the court allows another method) | NRS 159.0475 |
| Emergency temporary guardian for an adult (risk of harm or medical need) | Serves 10 days at first; hearing within 10 days of appointment; extensions of up to two 60-day periods; no longer than 5 months without extraordinary circumstances | NRS 159.0523 |
| Accounting for a guardian of the estate | At least once a year, with a hearing to review it | Eighth Judicial District Court |
Nevada Revised Statutes and the court's guardianship pages, checked October 2026. Child guardianships follow NRS Chapter 159A; ask the Family Law Self-Help Center for those timelines.
What it costs
| Filing | Fee | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Guardian of the person only | $0 | Eighth Judicial District Court |
| Guardian of the estate, assets $2,500 or less | $0 | Eighth Judicial District Court |
| Guardian of the estate, assets over $2,500 | A fee applies; confirm with the clerk | Eighth Judicial District Court |
If you can't afford a fee, file the guardianship fee waiver application and order. The clerk takes cash, money order or major credit and debit cards.
Forms
The full library is on the Family Law Self-Help Center's guardianship forms page. These are the official forms the court lists.
| Starting a guardianship of an adult | Link |
|---|---|
| Family Court Cover Sheet | |
| Confidential Information Sheet (adult) | |
| Petition for Appointment of Guardian Over Adult | |
| Citation to Appear and Show Cause (adult) | |
| Physician's Certificate |
| Starting a guardianship of a child | 1 child | 2 to 3 children | 4 to 6 children |
|---|---|---|---|
| Family Court Cover Sheet | |||
| Confidential Information Sheet | |||
| Petition for Appointment of Guardian Over Children | |||
| Citation to Appear and Show Cause | |||
| Letters of Guardianship (after appointment) | |||
Step-by-step for a child: Filing for guardianship over a child.
| Once you're the guardian | Link |
|---|---|
| Letters of Guardianship (adult) | |
| Guardian Acknowledgment: adult person · adult estate | Person · Estate |
| Guardian Acknowledgment: child person · child estate | Person · Estate |
| Annual Report of Guardian: adult · child | Adult (or guided interview) · Child |
| Inventory | |
| Monthly Budget | |
| Annual Accounting Packet | |
| Request to Extend Time to File Annual Accounting | |
| Final Accounting | |
| Petition to Convert to Summary Administration | |
| Proof of Blocked Account | |
| Petition to Release Funds from Blocked Account | |
| Confidential Medical/Educational Documents | |
| Change of Address |
| Hearings, moves and ending a guardianship | Link |
|---|---|
| Notice of Hearing | |
| Certificate of Service | |
| Publication Packet | |
| Order Shortening Time Packet | |
| Telephone Appearance Request · Request to Appear by Video | Phone · Video |
| Notice of Intent to Move Protected Person | |
| Petition to Relocate Out of Nevada | |
| Petition to Transfer Guardianship to Nevada | |
| Registration of Foreign Guardianship Order | |
| Terminating a guardianship: adult · child | Adult · Child |
| Suggestion of Death |
Forms listed on the Eighth Judicial District Court's commonly used forms and initiating a guardianship pages, checked October 2026.
Alternatives to guardianship
Six-month informal temporary guardianship (children) — a short-term arrangement
for a child.
Form (PDF).
Supported decision-making agreement — the adult keeps making their own choices,
with help from people they pick.
Agreement (PDF) ·
sdmnevada.org.
Power of attorney — the person names someone to act for them.
Financial ·
Durable health care ·
Health care ·
Certificate of competency.
Living wills and advance directives —
Psychiatric advance directive ·
Declaration to withhold life-sustaining treatment ·
Physician declaration.
Representative payee — someone manages benefit checks for the person, through
the Clark County Public Guardian's program.
Adoption, or a living or special needs trust — other options the court lists.
Adoption overview.
Where to file
Family Court Clerk's Office — Family Courts and Services Center, 601 N. Pecos
Rd, Las Vegas, NV 89101. Monday to Friday, 9am to 4pm. You can also mail your papers there.
District Court Clerk's Office — Regional Justice Center, 200 Lewis Ave, 3rd
floor. Both clerk's offices take guardianship filings.
E-filing — through eFileNV,
for a small extra fee. You need an account with a working email and a way to scan.
Guardianship Compliance Division — watches over active adult and child
guardianships. Regional Justice Center, 200 Lewis Ave. Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm.
702-671-4614.
Court's guardianship pages.
Free help
Family Law Self-Help Center — 601 N. Pecos Rd, Las Vegas. Monday to Friday,
8am to 4pm. 702-455-1500. Guardianship information and forms
online and in person. Staff can't give legal advice.
Guardianship guide.
Civil Law Self-Help Center — Regional Justice Center, 200 Lewis Ave, 1st floor.
Has walk-in guardianship information and paper forms too.
Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, free guardianship class — 725 E.
Charleston Blvd. 702-386-1070. At the end of the class you can
apply for a volunteer lawyer through the Pro Bono Project, which takes uncontested guardianships
for people who qualify financially. Class calendar at
lacsn.org.
Ask-A-Lawyer — free phone consultations with a family law lawyer through Legal
Aid Center of Southern Nevada.
Sign up at lacsn.org.
Good to know
- A guardian answers to the court and to the protected person, and must act for that person's good, not their own. The duty lasts until the court releases you.
- The person under guardianship keeps rights. Read the court's Protected Person's Bill of Rights.
- If someone has died and you need to handle what they left, that's probate, not guardianship: see Someone died and I need to handle what they left.