Adult Guardianship Periodic Reporting Requirements in Missouri

At a glance

Requirements one by one

The two reporting tracks

The guardian or limited guardian of an adult files a personal-status report each year on the anniversary of the guardian's letters. It also describes plans for future care. A guardian who is also conservator may combine this report with the estate settlement (§ 475.082(2)).

The conservator makes an inventory and appraisement under the same manner and timing rules used for a decedent's estate: ordinarily within 30 days after letters unless the court grants more time. The inventory includes joint and entirety property, life insurance, income and benefits, and designated nonprobate transferees (§ 475.145; § 473.233(1)).

Annual contents and due dates

The guardian's court-prescribed report states current addresses, contacts and visits, the last professional visit, mental and physical condition and changes, institutional treatment-plan information, continued need and proposed scope, and a plan for the next year (§ 475.082(2)).

A conservator files an estate settlement annually or more often if the court requires one. The court fixes the annual time within 60 days after the appointment anniversary. The settlement follows decedent-estate accounting requirements or the statute's alternate simplified reporting route when the court allows it for a qualifying estate. It includes financial activity, assets, services, compensation, continued need and a next-year plan as the statute directs (§ 475.270; § 473.543(1)). At settlement, securities and deposits are verified under the statutory certification process (§ 475.275(1)).

Court review and final settlement

The court inquires into each adult ward's or protectee's status at least annually. It may investigate the guardian's performance, and if a breach of duties appears, hold a hearing and issue an appropriate order, including removal or termination where warranted. An indication that incapacity or disability ceased leads the court to appoint an attorney to petition for termination or restoration (§ 475.082(1), (3)–(5)).

The conservator generally makes final settlement at a court-fixed time within 90 days after authority ends. A copy of the account and written settlement notice go to the protectee or the appropriate successor at least 20 days before settlement. The court examines and settles the account after proof of notice or the permitted alternative notice procedure (§ 475.290).

What trips people up

The guardian's report is due on the letters anniversary; the conservator's annual settlement uses a separate court-fixed date within 60 days after the appointment anniversary. A combined guardian-conservator may combine the personal-status report with the settlement (§ 475.082(2); § 475.270(1)).

Common questions

When is the guardian's annual report due? On the anniversary of the guardian's letters (§ 475.082(2)).

When is final settlement due? Generally within 90 days after the conservator's authority ends, at the time fixed by the court; the statute states an exception for certain no-letters cases (§ 475.290(1)).

Statutes and sources

The verbatim quotations in the statutes entries above come from the linked current Missouri Revised Statutes sections, accessed October 3, 2026.