Michigan Guardianship & Conservatorship Paperwork
Petitions, notices, and annual filings for adult guardianship, minor guardianship, and conservatorship — prepared accurately for the probate court in your county.
Important: Clear Path Document Services is a non-attorney document preparation service and cannot provide legal advice. No attorney-client relationship is created. Read full disclaimer
Quick Answer
In Michigan, guardianship and conservatorship are separate things decided by the probate court in the county where the person lives. A guardian makes personal decisions — housing, medical care, daily welfare. A conservator manages money and property. Both are started by filing a petition in probate court, both require notice to family members, and both come with ongoing duties: a guardian files an annual report, and a conservator files an inventory and annual accounts. Only the probate judge can appoint a guardian or conservator — no document service can. Clear Path prepares the paperwork accurately so your hearing isn't delayed by a filing error. We review every matter first, then send a written quote.
Who qualifies for this service?
This document preparation service is a fit for Michigan residents who match the criteria below. If your situation is different, contact us and we'll tell you whether we can help or whether you should speak with an attorney.
- Adult children seeking guardianship for a parent with dementia or a disabling condition
- Parents or relatives seeking guardianship of a minor child
- Families who need a conservator appointed to manage an incapacitated adult's finances
- Grandparents and relatives caring for a child whose parents cannot
- Existing guardians and conservators who owe an annual report, inventory, or account
- Families needing to modify, transfer, or terminate an existing guardianship
How the process works
Clear, predictable steps from intake to court-ready paperwork.
Tell us the situation
Short form: who needs help, your relationship, which county, and how urgent it is.
We review your matter
We confirm whether you need guardianship, conservatorship, both, or a less restrictive option.
Written quote
Flat preparation fee, with probate court filing fees listed separately. Nothing is purchased online.
Documents prepared
Petition, notices, consents, and supporting forms prepared for your county's probate court.
Filing instructions
You get a filing packet with who to serve, when, and what to bring to the hearing.
Ongoing filings
We can prepare the annual report, inventory, and annual account after you're appointed.
Paperwork we organize for you
Document preparation only. We do not represent you in court.
Documents and information you'll need
- Full legal name, date of birth, and address of the person needing a guardian or conservator
- Your name, address, and relationship to that person
- Names and addresses of the person's spouse, adult children, parents, and other close relatives
- Medical information or an evaluation describing the person's condition, if you have it
- A list of assets and income if a conservatorship is being requested
- Any existing power of attorney, patient advocate designation, or prior court order
Common mistakes to avoid
Small errors can cost you weeks. Here's what we see most often.
- Filing in the wrong county — the petition generally belongs in the probate court where the person lives.
- Leaving out an interested person who must receive notice, which forces the hearing to be adjourned.
- Asking for full guardianship when a limited guardianship or a power of attorney would do what the family needs.
- Assuming guardianship gives control of money — that requires a conservatorship.
- Missing the annual report or annual account deadline, which can put an existing appointment at risk.
- Not arranging the required medical or evaluation information the court expects for an adult guardianship.
Local Michigan considerations
Michigan guardianship and conservatorship cases are heard in the probate court of the county where the person lives, using the state's PC-series forms. Each county sets its own hearing calendar, and several require the petitioner to attend in person. Michigan courts are required to consider less restrictive alternatives first — a durable power of attorney and a patient advocate designation, signed while a person still has capacity, often avoid the need for a guardianship entirely. If your relative can still sign, ask us about those before you file. The probate judge, not Clear Path, decides who is appointed.
Key Terms
- Guardian
- A person appointed by the probate court to make personal decisions — housing, medical care, daily welfare — for someone who cannot make them alone.
- Conservator
- A person appointed by the probate court to manage the money and property of a protected individual.
- Ward / protected individual
- The person for whom a guardian or conservator has been appointed.
- Interested person
- A family member or other person entitled by law to receive notice of a guardianship or conservatorship proceeding.
- Guardian ad litem
- A person the court appoints to investigate and report on what is in the best interest of the person who may need a guardian.
- Limited guardianship
- A minor guardianship established with the parents' consent and a placement plan, rather than by a finding that the parents are unfit.
People Also Ask
Reviewed and updated by the Clear Path document team. Informational only — not legal advice.
Ready to get your paperwork started?
Start the guided intake, or call or text us — we review every matter before quoting a price, and nothing is purchased online.