What will it take to obtain legal guardianship of a teenager? 12 Answers as of November 04, 2011

You can file a Petition for Letters of Guardianship with the court in the county where the minor resides. Check your local county website or call the clerk of court for the associated fees.

We cannot responsibly quote a price without reviewing all factors. Just generally speaking, the ballpark is around $1,250 if truly uncontested, but this is not a binding quote.

It depends, are you talking a legal guardianship through the probate courts (the child is not competent) or are you speaking of an agreed child custody arrangement? Probate guardianship, I cannot say, but an agreed custody case depends on a few factors, court cost being one, whether or not service is required, and if the court ask for social studies. Attorney's fees depend on the location as well and who you hire, plan at least 5-8 hours of attorney time even for an agreed arrangement and then add in local court cost, service of process cost, and social study cost if required. If the matter becomes contested, it is up to the parties how long it will take and cost.

If both parents consent to the guardianship it is not extremely complicated. It will probably cost you between $1,500 - and $2,500 in attorney fees, but you will need to discuss that with an attorney who can better estimate what will be required under the specific circumstances.

I'm not sure what you mean by "guardianship." Do you mean "custody?" If yes, then all you need to do is petition Family Court for custody. If, like you said, it is agreeable to the person having custody now, it is an easy Stipulated Agreement between you both granting custody to you by the Court. If you're talking about being a "guardian" for a child should the parents die, then it's just a matter of putting that in the parents' last will and testament.

Generally, if the child consents it's not extremely complicated. A lawyer can file the petition for you and get a court date and try to push to get a court to order custody relatively quickly, so long as the child agrees and no other party contests.

A petition has to be filed with the court and then a hearing held. Filing and other court fees, plus $750 to get it done.

Probate court fees are $150 and attorney fees would be additional if you wished to hire counsel.

There are a couple of different ways to do this, depending on the situation. easiest would be a power of attorney, if this applies to your situation.

If the parents will agree to the guardianship, all you need to do is get the documents from the Probate Court and fill them out; you can do it without an attorney and the cost should be minimal.