State guide
District of Columbia
In the District of Columbia, adult guardianship and conservatorship cases are filed in the Probate Division of the Superior Court as intervention proceedings. The court's current public guidance highlights less restrictive alternatives, including supportive decision making, powers of attorney, advance directives, and representative payees.
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Court that handles adult guardianship
- Adult guardianship and conservatorship petitions are filed in the Probate Division of the Superior Court of the District of Columbia.
- What it's called
- guardian and conservator
- Official forms and self-help
- Official page →
- Filing fee
- $45.00 if asking the court to appoint a conservator or issue a protective order
- Less-restrictive alternatives
- The court lists supportive decision making, power of attorney, advance directive, and representative payee as less restrictive alternatives, and D.C. law recognizes supported decision-making agreements.
- Law
- D.C. Code §§ 21-2001 to 21-2077
Official resources in District of Columbia
Official Probate Division guidance for adult guardianship and conservatorship, including forms needed to start a case and the published conservator/protective-order filing fee.
Official page describing how intervention proceedings are filed and reviewed in the Probate Division.
Official self-help page for probate users, including adult guardianship help and links to online form tools.
Official Probate Division page with contact information, location, and links to self-help and legal assistance resources.
Official D.C. Code section for supported decision-making agreements.
Key facts for District of Columbia
- Petitions to appoint a guardian or conservator of an incapacitated person are filed in the Probate Division of the District of Columbia Superior Court.
- The District uses guardian for personal decision-making and conservator for property management.
- The court says if you ask to appoint a conservator or issue a protective order, you must also pay a $45.00 filing fee.
- The court's public guidance lists supportive decision making, power of attorney, advance directive, and representative payee as less restrictive options.
- The Probate Self-Help Center assists with adult guardianship matters and lets users fill out forms online, print them, and file them with the Probate Division.
- D.C. law expressly authorizes supported decision-making agreements.
County court guardianship pages in District of Columbia
| Court | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Probate Division Clerk's Office | Washington | (202) 879-9460 | Clerk's Office for the Probate Division in Court Building A, Room 314. |
| Probate Self-Help Center | Washington | (202) 508-1681 | Assists the public with wills, estates, guardian of minor's estates, and adult guardianship; located in Court Building A, Room 318. |
| Probate Self-Help Center | Washington | (202) 508-1681 | Self-help page says users can complete necessary forms online, print them, and file them with the Probate Division. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Use the Probate Self-Help Center before filing; the court says it helps with adult guardianship forms and process questions.
- If you seek financial authority, budget for the published $45.00 filing fee for a conservator or protective order request.
- Gather the required medical evidence and notice forms listed on the court's guardianship page before submitting the petition.
Not seeing your court or county?
Not every court publishes its rules online. Try these, in order:
- General Start with the statewide information above.
- Closest verified Nearest places where we have verified local data outside this state (distance from District of Columbia's population center, for comparison only):
- Prince George's Family Division, Maryland · about 10 miles
- Prince George's Family Division, Maryland · about 10 miles
- Montgomery Family Law Self Help Center, Maryland · about 15 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.DC Courts — Guardianship and Conservatorship
Website →Phone: (202) 879-1010 (as listed on that page, checked Oct 4, 2026)Your city or county office: Local governments →Not sure who handles it locally? USAGov's free help line, 1-844-872-4681, or the District of Columbia page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.