Guardianship Petition - Preparation Worksheet - Massachusetts

MASSACHUSETTS GUARDIANSHIP ROUTING AND PETITION-PREPARATION PACKET

DO NOT FILE OR SERVE THIS PACKET.

Use it to collect facts, identify the correct proceeding, locate current
official materials, and prepare a separate counsel-approved filing package.

1. Matter and Safety Control

If immediate danger or a live deadline exists, use the applicable emergency or
case-specific process selected by qualified counsel rather than this packet.

2. Proceeding and Track Screen

Do not combine minor and adult matters or personal and property authority
without a current-law routing decision.

• ☐ Adult capacity, guardianship, conservatorship, or protective matter
• ☐ Minor-related guardianship, custody, adoption, or other family matter
• ☐ Estate, financial-management, property, trust, or benefits issue
• ☐ Existing guardianship review, modification, transfer, restoration, removal, or closing
• ☐ Protective-services, health-care, housing, criminal, family, probate, or agency matter
• ☐ Authority under a power of attorney, trust, supported arrangement, representative-payee appointment, or other existing instrument
• ☐ Route not yet determined

Counsel's routing conclusion: [________________________________]

Current authority, form, and instruction supporting that conclusion:
[________________________________]

3. Court, Case, and Jurisdiction Register

Do not select a probate division, district, county, or filing caption from the
old template or from relationship alone.

4. Person and Interested-Party Register

Do not infer a legal role from relationship, caregiving, residence, payment of
expenses, or possession of records.

Include family, household members, caregivers, agents, trustees, payees,
providers, facilities, agencies, attorneys, nominees, and any person whose
status or contact information is disputed.

5. Current Supports and Less Restrictive Options

This table records facts only. Counsel and the court determine what
alternatives must be considered and whether any requested authority is needed.

6. Functional and Decision Record

Describe specific decisions and events. Do not use diagnosis, age, disability,
unusual choices, dependence, or disagreement alone as a legal conclusion.

Person's own wishes, values, preferences, and proposed supports:
[________________________________]

7. Property, Income, and Obligations

Do not move, spend, freeze, retitle, pledge, sell, or disclose property based on
this worksheet.

8. Proposed Fiduciary and Conflict Screen

No indemnity, liability cap, automatic estate reimbursement, minimum insurance,
or bond formula is created by this packet.

9. Requested Authority and Limits

Do not request a general label without identifying each specific decision or
power and the reason it is proposed.

Powers or decisions expressly not requested: [________________________________]

10. Current-Law, Form, and Procedure Register

Do not copy the old template's ten-, thirty-, or sixty-day periods, annual
report schedule, relatives list, jury conclusion, venue rule, bond formula, or
court-approval statement into a filing without current official authority.

11. Evidence and Filing-Package Inventory

12. Final Counsel Review

• ☐ Correct minor, adult, personal, property, existing-case, or other track selected.
• ☐ Court, county, jurisdiction, and caption verified from current authority and records.
• ☐ Person's rights, wishes, participation, support, and alternatives addressed.
• ☐ Every required person, agency, fiduciary, and interested party identified.
• ☐ Proposed fiduciary eligibility, conflicts, qualifications, and alternatives reviewed.
• ☐ Each requested power is specific, supported, and limited as appropriate.
• ☐ Current official forms, instructions, notice, service, and hearing process confirmed.
• ☐ Bond, inventory, plan, accounting, report, review, and closing duties verified separately.
• ☐ No contract-style default, remedy, indemnity, liability cap, insurance mandate, integration, or forum clause remains.
• ☐ No copied deadline, jury rule, fee right, penalty, or remedy remains.
• ☐ Every filing and service document will be prepared separately by qualified counsel.

Massachusetts attorney: [________________________________]

Review date: [__/__/____]

Approval or signature record: [________________________________]