Rule 8 Parental Consent to or Waiver of Guardianship Appointment

If you're a parent, you have the first right to be considered as your child's guardian. But you can choose to give up that right, or you can agree to let someone else be appointed as guardian instead. This might happen, for example, if a grandparent, other relative, or family friend is stepping in to care for your child.

To make this official, you have two options. You can go to court and state your consent or waiver out loud, on the record, in front of the judge. Or you can put it in writing, sign it, have it verified (meaning you swear or affirm it's true), and file it with the court handling the guardianship case.

Either way, the court needs clear proof that you understand what you're giving up and that you agree to it. A casual conversation or verbal agreement outside of court isn't enough. This rule protects your parental rights by making sure any decision to step back from guardianship is documented properly and made with the court's knowledge.