Kentucky Legal Guardianship Forms: Minors, Adults, and Filing

Kentucky legal guardianship forms are published by the Administrative Office of the Courts and available as free PDFs on the Kentucky Court of Justice website at kycourts.gov. Which forms you need depends on whether the person who needs a guardian is a minor child or a disabled adult, because the two situations follow different chapters of Kentucky Revised Statutes. Using the wrong form number will delay your case, and several numbers circulating on third-party legal sites are inaccurate or outdated, so confirm every form title directly on the court’s website before you file.

Forms for Guardianship of a Minor

Any interested person can petition the District Court to appoint a guardian, limited guardian, or conservator for an unmarried minor under KRS 387.025.¹ Two documents go in together: a petition describing the minor’s situation and a separate verified application from whoever wants to serve. The application is Form AOC-853, “Application for Appointment as Guardian, Limited Guardian, or Conservator of a Minor.”²

The petition must include:

The minor’s name, address, and date of birth
The parents’ names and addresses, or adult next of kin if no parent is living
Who currently has custody of the minor
Facts supporting the need for a guardianship
A description and estimated value of the minor’s property, income, and benefits
The proposed guardian’s information and qualifications

Form AOC-853 itself asks for the proposed guardian’s name, age, address, relationship to the minor, criminal history, and qualifications to serve.¹

One warning. Form AOC-830 is not the minor guardianship petition, despite what some online guides say. AOC-830 is a “Petition to Dispense with Administration,” a separate probate document used in estate matters.³ Filing it will not open a guardianship case.

Forms for Guardianship of a Disabled Adult

Adult guardianship falls under KRS 387.500 through 387.800 and runs as a two-step process. Someone must petition the court to determine whether the adult is partially or fully disabled, and separately apply to serve as guardian or conservator.⁴

The petition describes the respondent’s alleged disabilities and provides identifying and financial information much like the minor petition. The accompanying verified application covers the proposed guardian’s background, qualifications, relationship to the respondent, and criminal history. Because an adult guardianship removes fundamental rights from the respondent, the procedural requirements are stricter, and the court will appoint independent professionals to evaluate the respondent before any hearing.

The Interdisciplinary Evaluation Report

Before the court can hold a hearing on an adult disability petition, an interdisciplinary evaluation report has to be on file. The correct form is AOC-765, “Report of Interdisciplinary Evaluation Team.”⁵ Older resources sometimes cite AOC-777; that reference is wrong.

KRS 387.540 requires the evaluation team to include at least three professionals:⁶

A licensed physician, advanced practice registered nurse, or physician assistant
A psychologist licensed or certified under KRS Chapter 319
A licensed or certified social worker, or a Cabinet for Health and Family Services employee with at least one year of investigative experience and training in capacity assessments

The report must address the nature and extent of the respondent’s disabilities, assess the respondent’s social, intellectual, physical, and educational condition, and give an opinion on whether a guardianship is actually needed. If the alleged disability involves mental illness, at least one team member must be a qualified mental health professional; if it involves an intellectual disability, at least one must be a specialist in that area.⁶ The team can file one joint report or separate reports from each member.

Choose the Right Type of Appointment Before You File

Kentucky recognizes several levels of authority, and your petition has to specify which one you are asking for. A full guardian makes all personal decisions for the ward. A limited guardian handles only the specific areas where the court finds the person lacks capacity; the ward keeps decision-making power over everything else. A conservator manages financial affairs and property. A limited conservator handles only designated financial matters.⁴

Courts are directed to use the least restrictive option that still protects the person, so expect the judge to question whether a full guardianship is necessary when a limited one would do. The AOC-765 evaluation report must include the team’s opinion on which type of appointment is appropriate. If you need both personal and financial authority, the petition typically asks for appointment as both guardian and conservator.

Where to Get the Forms

All AOC guardianship forms are downloadable PDFs on the Kentucky Court of Justice website. Paper copies are available at your local Circuit Court Clerk’s office. The digital versions can be typed into on a computer before printing, which reduces errors from illegible handwriting.

Many third-party legal sites publish incorrect form numbers for Kentucky guardianship filings. Go to kycourts.gov, use the form search, and verify the title matches what you need. If you are unsure which forms apply, the Circuit Court Clerk can help identify the right documents, though staff cannot give legal advice about how to fill them out.

Completing the Forms

Every field on the petition and application must be filled in. Courts routinely reject incomplete filings, and each rejection adds weeks to the case.

When describing why the person needs a guardian, use specific facts rather than emotional language. “Respondent left the stove on three times in October and was found wandering outside at 2 a.m. on two occasions” is far more useful to a judge than “respondent cannot care for herself.” Concrete examples of the person’s inability to handle daily tasks or finances are what move the case forward.

You must identify the respondent’s next of kin so the court can notify everyone with a legal interest. For a minor, that means parents and adult next of kin. For an adult, that typically includes the spouse, parents, adult children, and siblings. If you cannot locate someone after a reasonable search, state that on the form instead of leaving the field blank.

Both the petition and the application must be verified, which means signed under oath. Most Circuit Court Clerk offices can administer the oath and notarize your signature. The notarization fee in Kentucky is around $5 per signature.⁷ Any commissioned Kentucky notary public can also sign.

Filing and Fees

File the completed, signed forms with the Clerk of the Court in the county where the respondent lives. Minor guardianships go to District Court. Adult guardianships are filed in the respondent’s county of residence through the local court system.

Kentucky Court Rule 3.02 exempts proceedings under KRS Chapter 387 from the standard $150 circuit court filing fee.⁸ Some counties still charge separate administrative or processing costs, so check with the local clerk before filing. The interdisciplinary evaluation, attorney fees, and guardian ad litem fees are separate expenses and can add up to much more than any filing cost.

Forms You Will Need After the Appointment

Serving as guardian comes with ongoing reporting duties. Guardians of disabled adults file an annual report using Form AOC-790.⁹ The report covers:

The ward’s current address and living arrangement
Changes in mental, physical, and social condition since the last report
Services the ward is receiving, including medical, educational, and vocational
The guardian’s visits and activities on behalf of the ward
Whether the guardianship should continue, be modified, or be terminated
Status of any standby guardian designation

Conservators have separate financial reporting obligations. KRS 387.710 requires a conservator to file an inventory of the ward’s property after appointment and submit periodic financial accountings showing assets, income, disbursements, and investments. Missing these deadlines can result in removal and replacement, and serious financial mismanagement can bring civil liability for losses or even criminal charges.

Modifying or Terminating a Guardianship

A guardianship can be changed or ended. If the ward’s condition improves or circumstances shift, any interested person, including the ward, can file Form AOC-795, “Petition for Relief, Modification or Termination.”¹⁰

The petitioner has to show that the need for guardianship has ended or changed. Courts generally rely on updated medical evaluations and direct observation of the person. If the current guardian opposes termination, the process becomes more difficult and expensive, since the ward may end up paying attorney fees for the guardian contesting the petition. Form AOC-795 is also used when a guardian needs to be replaced for failing to perform duties, mismanaging finances, or acting against the ward’s interests.

Emergency Situations

When someone faces an immediate threat to health or safety and the standard timeline is too slow, KRS 387.740 allows an emergency petition supported by an affidavit showing reasonable grounds for immediate action. The court can hold an expedited hearing and appoint a temporary guardian while the full case proceeds through the normal evaluation and hearing. A temporary appointment is a bridge, not a substitute: the standard petition, AOC-765 evaluation, and hearing still have to follow. Ask the Circuit Court Clerk about emergency filing procedures if you believe someone is in immediate danger.

1
Justia Law. Kentucky Code 387.025 – Application for Appointment as Guardian, Limited Guardian, or Conservator
2
Kentucky Court of Justice. AOC-853 – Application for Appointment as Guardian, Limited Guardian, or Conservator of a Minor
3
Kentucky Court of Justice. AOC-830 – Petition to Dispense with Administration
4
Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Code 387.530 – Filing of Petition, Contents, Application
5
Kentucky Court of Justice. AOC-765 – Report of Interdisciplinary Evaluation Team
6
Kentucky Legislative Research Commission. Kentucky Acts Chapter 13 – Amendments to KRS 387.540
7
Boyd County Clerk. Notary Information
8
New York Codes, Rules and Regulations. Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure Rule 3.02 – Circuit Civil Fees and Costs
9
Kentucky Court of Justice. AOC-790 – Annual Report of Guardian
10
Kentucky Court of Justice. AOC-795 – Petition for Relief, Modification or Termination