State guide
Virginia
Virginia adult guardianship and conservatorship petitions are filed in circuit court, and the statewide court system has a dedicated guardianship/conservatorship information portal plus a self-help forms page. Virginia law now expressly references supported decision-making agreements as a less restrictive alternative, and Fairfax County’s courthouse self-help center points residents to the state guardianship resources.
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 handled by the Circuit Court.
- What it's called
- guardian (person/personal affairs) and conservator (estate/financial affairs)
- Official forms and self-help
- Official page →
- Filing fee
- $20 basic cost in the statewide Circuit Court Fee Schedule (Appendix C)
- Less-restrictive alternatives
- Virginia has supported decision-making agreements in official law and court materials, and the courts also list advance directives, durable powers of attorney, representative payees, VA fiduciaries, limited guardianship, and limited conservatorship as less restrictive options.
- Law
- Va. Code § 64.2-2000 et seq.; supported decision-making agreement in Va. Code § 37.2-314.3
Official resources in Virginia
State court program page with FAQs, less restrictive options, reporting information, and links for adult guardianship and conservatorship.
Official self-help page listing forms and form numbers used in guardianship and conservatorship matters.
Official forms page including the cover sheet and other circuit-court guardianship and conservatorship forms.
Main Virginia guardianship and conservatorship statute for incapacitated adults.
Largest-county court self-help page that links residents to statewide guardianship and conservatorship information.
Key facts for Virginia
- Any person may file a petition with a Virginia circuit court seeking a guardian or conservator for a Virginia resident.
- A guardian handles the incapacitated adult’s personal affairs; a conservator handles the estate and financial affairs.
- Virginia’s self-help forms page lists circuit-court forms including CC-1642 for the sealed addendum.
- The statewide Circuit Court Fee Schedule lists appointment of guardian and/or conservator at a $20 basic cost.
- Virginia law requires the court to consider less restrictive alternatives, including advance directives, supported decision-making agreements, and durable powers of attorney.
- Fairfax County’s Probate Division page says appointments are required to qualify guardians and/or conservators over incapacitated adults.
County court guardianship pages in Virginia
| Court | city | phone | Details |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fairfax Courthouse Self-Help Resource Center Fairfax County | Fairfax | Not published* | County self-help page with a guardianships and conservatorships topic linking to official Virginia court resources. |
| Fairfax Circuit Court Probate Division Fairfax County | Fairfax | 703-691-7320 | Probate Division page says appointments are required and gives procedural help for qualifying guardians and conservators over incapacitated adults. |
| Fairfax County Guardianship Program Fairfax County | Fairfax | 703-324-7450 | County program with reporting guidance for guardians and instructions for reporting suspected abuse, neglect, or exploitation. |
| Fairfax Circuit Court Fairfax County | Fairfax | 703-324-7329 | Main Circuit Court contact page with courthouse address and hours. |
* Not published: the official page doesn't list it. Call the office to confirm before you rely on it.
What to do next
- Start with the Virginia court program page and self-help forms page to identify the current circuit-court forms for your petition.
- Check your local circuit court’s published fee sheet as well as the statewide Appendix C, because local published schedules may show different totals.
- If you are in Fairfax County, use the Courthouse Self-Help Resource Center and Probate Division page before scheduling an appointment or filing.
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 Virginia's population center, for comparison only):
- Probate Division Clerk's Office, District of Columbia · about 84 miles
- Probate Self-Help Center, District of Columbia · about 84 miles
- Probate Self-Help Center, District of Columbia · about 84 miles
- Call to confirm Ask the official office.Virginia Court System Guardianship and Conservatorship
Website →Phone: (804) 786-8902 (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 Virginia page on USA.gov can point you to the right office. - Know the current info? Tell us with a link to the official page.