Guardianship

LOS ANGELES GUARDIANSHIP LAWYERS AND ATTORNEYS:

WHAT IS A GUARDIANSHIP OF THE ESTATE?

A Guardianship is the legal procedure by which an adult can be given the right to manage assets and money of a minor. The process continues until the minor turns 18 in California. At 18, the minor or the guardian can petition the court to terminate the guardianship.

WHO NEEDS A GUARDIANSHIP OF THE ESTATE OF A MINOR?

Any minor who is receiving assets over $5,000.

Any adult who intends to collect assets of a minor (in excess of $5,000) should initiate a guardianship of the estate of the minor.

If the life insurance policy is payable to a custodian, a guardianship proceeding may be avoided.

WHAT IS A GUARDIANSHIP OF ESTATE AS OPPOSED TO A GUARDIAN OF THE PERSON?

A Guardian of the Estate manages money of the minor. A Guardian of the person manages the daily life decisions of a minor.

HOW TO GET APPOINTED AS A GUARDIAN?

The process begins with a Petition for Appointment as a Guardian. There is a court investigation requirement when the minor is unrelated to the proposed guardian. Where the guardianship is for the estate, there is usually a bond requirement, unless the court requires blocked accounts for the minor.

COLLECT LIFE INSURANCE PROCEEDS FOR A MINOR:

A Guardianship petition is filed with the court and upon issuance of the Letters of Guardianship, the attorney for the Guardian notifies the life insurance company and arranges for the disbursement of the life insurance proceeds to the guardianship estate account. The process takes 60-75 days from the filing of the Petition for Appointment of the Guardian,

NOMINATE A GUARDIAN FOR YOUR CHILD WITH A GUARDIANSHIP NOMINATION FORM:

If you are a parent and have not nominated a guardian for your child in your will, please contact us and we will provide you with a free electronic guardianship nomination form. Click here to request the form: MSirkin@SirkinLaw.com.

PROTECT RIGHTS OF A MINOR IN A LIFE INSURANCE:

Once you know a minor is a beneficiary of a life insurance and no custodian has been named in the beneficiary designation form, you should contact a lawyer to assist you in protecting the rights of the minor in that life insurance policy.

PROTECT A MINOR'S RIGHT TO LIFE INSURANCE PROCEEDS AGAINST OTHERS:

We can initiate suits to collect life insurance proceeds where there are competing rights by a minor to a life insurance policy against other persons. Please contact us to consult regarding the circumstances of your particular case. Examples of this type of suit may be that the insurance company does not pay, or is slow to pay the life insurance policy, or that someone else is claiming the insurance in an interpleader action.

FORM A GUADIANSHIP OF THE ESTATE FOR A MINOR:

Call us for a list of documents we will need to assist you in completing the guardianship petition process in Los Angeles, California. Contact here.

Our law office handles guardianship matters in all Los Angeles County courts. Our offices serve the following areas: Los Angeles Calabasas Woodland Hills West Hills Sherman Oaks Tarzana Northridge North Hollywood Reseda Van Nuys Burbank Glendale West Los Angeles Pasadena Studio City Granada Hills Chatsworth Encino Simi Thousand Oaks Westlake Village Simi Valley Conejo Valley Camarillo Santa Monica Culver City Venice Agoura Hills Oak Park

OFFICE LOCATIONS Main Office: 21550 Oxnard St. Suite 300 Woodland Hills, CA 91367 Phone:  818. 340. 4479 Fax:      818. 340. 7952 E-Mail: sirkinlaw@aol.com Map    Driving  Directions
West Los Angeles 11400 Olympic Blvd., Suite 200 Los Angeles, CA 90064 Tel: 800-300-9977 Map    Driving  Directions		Irvine 19800 MacArthur Blvd., Suite 300 Irvine, CA 92715 Tel: 800-300-9977     Map    Driving  Directions
LAX area 6601 Center Drive West, Suite 500 Los Angeles, CA 90045 Tel: 800-300-9977     Map    Driving  Directions		Downtown Los Angeles 445 N. Figueroa St., Suite 2600 Los Angeles, CA 90071 Tel: 800-300-9977 Map    Driving  Directions
Glendale 450 North Brand Blvd., Suite 500 Glendale, CA 91203 Tel: 800-300-9977 Map    Driving  Directions		Pasadena 225 South Lake Ave., Suite 300 Pasadena, CA 91101 Tel: 800-300-9977     Map    Driving  Directions