Conservatorship
Guardianship

Guardianship for Adults

In this section:

These standard instructions are for informational purposes only and do not constitute legal advice about your case. If you choose to represent yourself, you are bound by the same rules and procedures as an attorney.

Transfer a Guardianship Case from Colorado to Another State

Colorado Judicial Branch has compiled all forms required to Transfer a Guardianship Case from Colorado to Another State.

View Forms

Criteria to Transfer a Guardianship Case from Colorado to Another State

If you are the guardian for an adult (Ward), you can ask the court to transfer the guardianship case to another state if:

  1. The Ward is physically present in the other state; or
  2. The Ward is planning to permanently move to the other state; and
  3. There are plans in place to care for the Ward in the other state.

Preparing to Transfer a Guardianship Case from Colorado to Another State

Before you file paperwork to transfer a guardianship to another state, contact the court in the other state to find out what their requirements are, and whether or not they will accept the case.

The court in Colorado will need to be satisfied that the court in the other state will accept the case before the transfer is approved.

Identify Where to File Your Paperwork

You will file your paperwork with the same Colorado court where the existing guardianship case is located.

You will use the same case number that is on the existing guardianship case.

Forms and Paperwork Required

Use the forms link above to download and complete the Transfer a Guardianship Case from Colorado to Another State forms. For detailed instructions on filling out these forms, review JDF 786 Instructions to File a Petition to Transfer Adult Guardianship and/or Conservatorship from Colorado to Receiving State.

Paperwork Tips

You will be known as the Petitioner, and the adult who you are the guardian for is known as the Ward.

Check the "Guardianship" box at the top of JDF 787 Petition to Transfer Guardianship and/or Conservatorship from Colorado to Receiving State.

Fill out only the top "caption" part of JDF 788 Provisional Order Re: Petition to Transfer from Colorado to Receiving State. The court will fill out the rest.

Give Notice to the Respondent and Other Interested Persons

You need to give notice of JDF 787 Petition to Transfer Guardianship and/or Conservatorship from Colorado to Receiving State to the Ward and to all other interested persons named in the case. For a list of interested persons who must get notice, see JDF 786 Instructions to File a Petition to Transfer Adult Guardianship and/or Conservatorship from Colorado to Receiving State.

How to Give Notice

  1. Complete the required form. Fill out JDF 712 Notice of Non-Appearance Hearing. You will need to pick a date for the non-appearance hearing and put that date on the form. The date you pick must be at least 14 days from the date that you mail or hand-deliver a copy of the Petition (JDF 787) and the Notice (JDF 712) to all interested persons.
    • Note: A "non-appearance hearing" is not an actual hearing date, and no one needs to show up to court. This is a date the court puts on their calendar as a reminder to take further action.
  2. Deliver the paperwork to the Ward and to all interested persons. Mail or hand-deliver a copy of JDF 712 Notice of Non-Appearance Hearing and JDF 787 Petition to Transfer Guardianship and/or Conservatorship from Colorado to Receiving State to the Ward and to all other interested persons named in the case.
  3. File Certificate of Service with the court. Fill out the Certificate of Service part of JDF 712 Notice of Non-Appearance Hearing before filing it with the court.

How to Submit Paperwork to the Court

  1. Take your completed forms to the clerk at the counter in the courthouse. Give JDF 787 Petition to Transfer Guardianship and/or Conservatorship form Colorado to Receiving State, JDF 712 Notice of Non-Appearance Hearing, and JDF 788 Provisional Order Re: Petition to Transfer from Colorado to Receiving State to the clerk at the court to file your case.
  2. There is no filing fee required.

What Happens Next?

After the non-appearance hearing date passes, if the court agrees with what you are asking, and no one else has come forward to disagree with you, the court will sign JDF 788 Provisional Order Re: Petition to Transfer Guardianship/Conservatorship from Colorado to Receiving State.

Finish Transferring the Case to Another State

You will need to send a certified copy of the signed JDF 788 to the court in the state that you want to transfer the guardianship to, and get a certified copy of an Order from the other state saying that they will accept the transfer.

After you get a certified copy of an Order from the other state saying they will accept the transfer, file that Order with the court in Colorado along with JDF 789 Final Order Confirming Transfer to Receiving State and Terminating Guardianship/Conservatorship. You only need to fill out the top "caption" part of this form. The court will fill out the rest.

If the court signs JDF 789 Final Order Confirming Transfer to Receiving State and Terminating Guardianship/Conservatorship, you must provide a copy of the Order to the Ward and to all interested persons listed in the Order.

Additional Resources