What Happens After a 17-A Guardianship Case Is Filed
After the petition and necessary legal forms are filed with the Surrogate’s Court, the court will:
- Review the legal paperwork and decide if the package is complete. If there is any missing information, the court will contact the petitioner to review the documents and provide any assistance needed.
- Complete a background check. After the court receives the background check information, it will review the file once more to see if it is ready for a hearing. If the file has all forms and information needed, the court will then:
- Send all interested parties “a citation.” The citation will inform each interested party when the return date is scheduled to occur. The return date is the date the court has set aside to hold a hearing to decide whether appointing a guardian would be in the best interest of the respondent.
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