To file for temporary guardianship in Michigan, you submit Petition Form PC 625 to the probate court in the county where the incapacitated adult lives, pay a $175 filing fee, and ask the judge for an emergency appointment. If the court agrees, the judge signs Form PC 632, the order that actually appoints a temporary guardian and spells out that person’s powers and expiration date. PC 625 is your document; PC 632 is the judge’s. Keeping that distinction straight is the difference between a smooth filing and a returned packet.
When a Judge Will Grant an Emergency Appointment
Michigan law gives the probate court two separate paths. Under MCL 700.5312(1), if the person has no guardian, an emergency exists, and nobody else has authority to act, the court can hold a hearing and appoint a temporary guardian after finding the individual incapacitated. A full hearing with standard notice must then follow within 28 days. Under subsection (2), if a guardian already exists but is not doing the job, the court can appoint a temporary replacement for up to six months, with or without advance notice.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 700.5312 – Court Exercise of Power of Guardian; Temporary Guardian
“Emergency” means a specific, immediate risk of harm that cannot wait for the standard 14-day notice period for a regular guardianship petition.2Michigan Health & Hospital Association. Guide for Michigan’s Adult Guardianship Process Typical examples include a medical crisis where no one can consent to treatment, sudden cognitive loss leaving the person unable to stay safe, or an imminent financial threat like unauthorized withdrawals from the person’s accounts. A situation that has existed for months without anyone acting is unlikely to qualify; judges tend to route those to the standard proceeding.
Who the Court Can Appoint
Filing the petition does not automatically make you the temporary guardian. MCL 700.5313 sets a priority order. The court looks first for someone already serving in good standing as guardian (in Michigan or another state), then a person the alleged incapacitated individual chose, then someone nominated in a durable power of attorney or other written document.3Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 700.5313 – Guardian; Qualifications
If nobody in those categories is available or willing, the court moves through family: the spouse, then an adult child, then a parent, then a relative who has lived with the person for more than six months, and finally someone nominated by a person currently providing care or paying benefits. If nobody on any list is suitable, the court can appoint any competent person willing to serve, including a professional guardian. One firm restriction: the court cannot appoint an agency, public or private, that profits from directly providing housing, medical, mental health, or social services to the incapacitated person.3Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 700.5313 – Guardian; Qualifications
Every proposed guardian undergoes a criminal background check. Most probate courts require the nominee to complete a background authorization form, and the court can reject a nominee based on the results.
Completing Petition Form PC 625
PC 625, “Petition for Appointment of Guardian of Incapacitated Individual,” is the document that asks the court to find the person incapacitated and appoint a guardian. It contains a specific section where you request temporary guardianship due to an emergency. Download it from the Michigan Courts SCAO forms page or pick it up at the probate court clerk’s office.4Michigan Courts. Guardianship Cases Forms
The petition asks for:
- Your full legal name, address, and attorney information if you have one.
- The alleged incapacitated person’s name, last four digits of their Social Security number, date of birth, driver’s license number, race, sex, and current address.5Michigan Courts. Petition for Appointment of Guardian of Incapacitated Individual
- A description of the person’s lack of capacity, whether from mental illness, physical disability, chronic intoxication, or another cause, with specific recent facts or conduct showing a guardian is needed.
- Whether the person has a patient advocate, power of attorney, or conservator already in place.
- The name, address, and phone number of whoever currently has care and custody.
- The names and addresses of the person’s spouse, adult children, parents, or presumptive heirs.
- A checked box requesting a temporary guardian due to an emergency, and the person you want appointed (which can be yourself).
You sign the petition under penalty of perjury. Vague allegations will not get you past the hearing. Focus on concrete recent incidents: the date a hospital could not obtain consent, the day a caretaker found the person wandering outside in dangerous weather, the bank statement showing unauthorized withdrawals.
Supporting Documents to File With the Petition
The petition alone is rarely enough. Gathering these before you file prevents delays:
- Physician or Mental Health Professional Report (Form PC 630). This SCAO-approved form captures a clinical assessment of the individual’s condition and functional limitations, giving the judge independent evidence beyond your observations.4Michigan Courts. Guardianship Cases Forms
- Protected Personal Information form (MC 97). Michigan court rules require full Social Security numbers, birthdates, and license numbers to be kept off public records. File MC 97 alongside your petition so that data stays sealed.
- Fee Waiver Request (MC 20), if you cannot afford the $175 fee. The court rules on the waiver before processing the petition.6Michigan Courts. Fee Waiver Request
- Criminal background authorization for the proposed guardian. Check your county probate court’s website for the specific form.
- Evidence of the emergency: hospital records, police reports, letters from social workers, or photographs of unsafe conditions.
Where to File, What It Costs, and How Fast It Moves
File PC 625 and its supporting documents with the probate court in the county where the alleged incapacitated person lives or is physically present. The filing fee is $175, payable by cash, check, or money order at most courts. If you submitted MC 20, the court rules on that request first.7Grand Traverse County Probate Court. Adult Guardianships
Because you are requesting emergency relief, the court usually schedules an expedited hearing, sometimes within 24 to 48 hours depending on severity. Bring a blank copy of PC 632 with you to the hearing; many courts expect you to have one ready for the judge to complete and sign if the petition is granted. PC 632 is on the SCAO forms page.4Michigan Courts. Guardianship Cases Forms
Notice Before the Temporary Hearing
Even on a compressed timeline, MCL 700.5312(1) requires the court to notify the alleged incapacitated individual before holding a hearing on a temporary appointment.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 700.5312 – Court Exercise of Power of Guardian; Temporary Guardian The broader notice requirements of MCL 700.5311, which cover the spouse, parents, adult children, and other interested parties, apply to the permanent hearing that follows rather than to the emergency appointment itself.8Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 700.5311 – Notice
Courts still expect a good-faith effort to notify interested family about the temporary hearing when possible. Missing addresses for close relatives will slow you down. If you cannot locate someone, document the search so the court can see you tried.
The Hearing and What PC 632 Says
The judge reviews your petition and supporting evidence to decide whether the emergency threshold is met. The court may appoint a guardian ad litem to visit the individual and report back, though in genuine emergencies that step sometimes happens after the temporary appointment rather than before.9Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 700.5213 – Procedure for Court Appointment of Guardian, Temporary Guardian, or Lawyer-Guardian Ad Litem for Minor
If the evidence is sufficient, the judge completes and signs PC 632. The order records which statutory ground applies (no guardian and an emergency, or an existing guardian failing to act), names the temporary guardian, and marks whether that person receives all authority granted by law or only specific enumerated powers. The judge writes in any restrictions and can grant authority to consent to voluntary mental health treatment. PC 632 may also require a bond in a specified amount and contains a specific expiration date for the appointment.10Michigan Courts. Order Regarding Appointment of Temporary Guardian of Incapacitated Individual
One line on the order matters more than most people realize: the temporary guardian cannot act until letters of guardianship are issued. The signed PC 632 by itself does not let you walk into a hospital and start making decisions.
Acceptance and Letters of Guardianship
Two more forms stand between the signed order and actual authority. First, file Form PC 571, “Acceptance of Appointment.” By signing, you submit to the court’s jurisdiction and agree to perform every duty required by law, including reports and any specific instructions the court gives.11Michigan Courts. Acceptance of Appointment
The court then issues Form PC 633, “Letters of Guardianship.” This is the document you carry and present to hospitals, banks, schools, and anyone else asking for proof of authority. PC 633 certifies your appointment, states whether the guardianship is full, limited, or temporary, lists the powers you hold, and shows an expiration date, with a clerk’s certification that the letters are currently in full force and effect.12Michigan Courts. Letters of Guardianship Request several certified copies. Institutions rarely return originals quickly, and you will be presenting them in more than one place.
Keep detailed records of every decision you make and every dollar you spend on the ward’s behalf during the temporary period. Those records feed directly into the permanent hearing.
Moving to Permanent Guardianship
A temporary guardianship is exactly that. Under MCL 700.5312(1), the full hearing must occur within 28 days of the emergency action. When an existing guardian was replaced under subsection (2), the appointment can last up to six months, but the court still expects a permanent resolution.1Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 700.5312 – Court Exercise of Power of Guardian; Temporary Guardian
If your PC 625 requested both temporary and permanent guardianship, which is the most common approach, the permanent petition is already in the system. For the full hearing, the court requires standard notice under MCL 700.5311 to every interested party, including the ward’s spouse, parents, adult children, any existing conservator, and anyone named as attorney-in-fact under a power of attorney.8Michigan Legislature. Michigan Compiled Laws 700.5311 – Notice You must also show that no less restrictive alternative, such as a power of attorney or supported decision-making arrangement, will adequately protect the individual. If the court grants permanent guardianship, it issues a new order and updated letters, and ongoing duties begin: annual reports, periodic accountings, and regular visits with the ward.