Filing for Guardianship of an Incapacitated Person

Adults with impaired capacity may need someone to become their legal guardian.  An applicant, typically the proposed guardian, must file a Complaint seeking guardianship, along with two separate doctor's certifications outlining diagnosis and prognosis.  The Court will appoint an attorney for the alleged incapacitated person and file a detailed report with the Court.  A Superior Court judge will then review all documents and may hold a hearing.  He or she will make a decision regarding guardianship.  

The Hunterdon County Surrogate's Court can assist pro-se applicants (applicants without an attorney) with the process in straightforward guardianship cases.  

QUESTIONS?

Contact Jessica Wallace

908-806-4356

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Application Types:

A Title 30 (DDD) application is one where the alleged incapacitated person is developmentally disabled and eligible for, or receiving services from, the Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD). (Autism, Down's Syndrome, etc.) 

A Title 3B (DD) application is one where the alleged incapacitated person is developmentally disabled but is not eligible for or receiving services from DDD. (Autism, Down's Syndrome, etc.) 

Title 3B entails all other applications (accident-related injury; dementia, Alzheimer's, etc.) 

Types of Guardianship

Guardianship of the Person

Entails the ability to make medical, legal, educational, and vocational arrangements and decisions for the incapacitated person.

Guardianship of the Property

Entails the ability to make financial arrangements and decisions for the incapacitated person.

Guardianship of the Person & Property

Entails the ability to make all of the above-arrangements and decisions.

Limited Guardianship

Entails very specific decision-make abilities.  

DOCUMENTS FOR FILING FOR GUARDIANSHIP 

  1. Determine what type of Guardianship you will be filing for. Review the information below and call our office if guidance is needed.  
  2. Open all non-PDF documents using Microsoft Word.  Otherwise, formatting my be significantly altered. 
  3. Print the appropriate checklist below. This will show you the step-by-step process of filing for guardianship.
  4. Complete the appropriate guardianship packet. Check for proper formatting,proofread for errors, and make sure all information being asked for is inputted.  
  5. Remember to date and sign your documents. We require originals.

Private Pro Se Guardianship Forms

DDD Pro Se Guardianship Forms

For an alleged Incapacitated Person with a chronic developmental disability diagnosed before the age of 21, who is potentially eligible for "DDD" (or equivalent) services in their lifetime.

DDD Supporting Certifications

Is the alleged incapacitated person eligible for DDD services, but you can't decide whether you should use the DDD application or not?  

Here are the main differences between the two filings:

DDDPrivate
Filing Fee Waived $200 Filing Fee
More flexible with documents requiredRequires 2 doctor’s certifications with exam dates within 30 days of your filing date
Pro-bono (free) attorney assigned for the alleged incapacitated personYou must pay for the attorney the Court is required to assign to the alleged incapacitated person
Minimum of 120-day wait between filing your Complaint and the guardianship hearingRoughly 4-6 weeks between filing your complaint and the guardianship hearing

Pro SE Packets to Add a Guardian or Substitute a Guardian

Guardianship Training