Rule 4:81-5 Acceptance

To become an official guardian, a person must formally accept the role before the court will give them the legal paperwork that makes their appointment official. This acceptance must follow the process laid out in Rule 4:96-1.

Without completing this acceptance step, a person cannot legally act as a guardian, even if a court has already chosen them for the role. The paperwork, called "letters of guardianship," is what gives a guardian the legal authority to act on behalf of another person.