GPCSF 12: How to Fill Out the Georgia Guardianship Petition Form

What GPCSF 12 Is

Georgia Probate Court Standard Form 12 is the official petition for appointing a guardian and/or conservator for a proposed adult ward. It's issued by the Council of Probate Court Judges of Georgia and available from the Georgia Supreme Court's probate court standard forms page. A standard adult guardianship case in Georgia typically starts with this form, filed in the probate court of the county where the proposed ward resides or is physically found.

The form covers both guardianship (personal decision-making authority) and conservatorship (financial management authority). You can petition for one, the other, or both using the same GPCSF 12.

The Two Filing Options

Under O.C.G.A. § 29-4-10, you have two ways to satisfy the petition's evidentiary requirements:

Option 1: Two petitioners. Two people who have personal knowledge of the proposed ward's condition can co-sign the petition. Both must swear under oath that the allegations in the petition are true based on their own firsthand observation and knowledge.

Option 2: One petitioner plus a clinician affidavit. A single petitioner files the petition accompanied by a supporting affidavit from a licensed clinician who examined the proposed ward within 15 days before the filing date. Under HB 36 (effective July 1, 2025), authorized clinicians include licensed physicians, psychologists, clinical social workers, physician assistants, psychiatric nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, licensed professional counselors, and licensed marriage and family therapists.

The 15-day window is strict. If the clinician's examination occurred more than 15 days before you file, the affidavit is stale and the court will not accept it. Schedule the examination with your filing date already planned.

What the Petition Must Allege

GPCSF 12 requires specific factual allegations — not conclusions or diagnoses. You must describe:

• The proposed ward's functional limitations: What decisions can they not make or communicate? Be specific. "Cannot manage financial transactions" is better than "has a disability."
• The domains where authority is sought: Are you asking for personal guardianship, financial conservatorship, or both? If you're requesting limited authority, specify which rights you're asking the court to remove and which should remain with the ward.
• The proposed ward's immediate family members: Spouses, parents, adult children, and siblings must be identified because they're entitled to formal notice of the proceeding.
• The proposed guardian or conservator's qualifications: Why are you the right person for this role? Prior caregiving history, proximity to the ward, and relevant experience all matter.

The Conservatorship Petition

If you're seeking conservatorship (control over the ward's financial affairs), the same GPCSF 12 form includes conservatorship-specific sections. You'll need to provide information about the proposed ward's known assets, income sources, and financial obligations. After appointment, the conservator must file GPCSF 58 (the Adult Conservatorship Inventory and Asset Management Plan) within 60 days, detailing every asset, income stream, and planned expenditure.

Conservators also must post a surety bond within 10 days of appointment, calculated based on the ward's personal property value plus one year of projected income. The bond protects the ward's estate against mismanagement.

Common Filing Mistakes

Vague allegations. Probate judges need specific facts, not generic statements about the proposed ward's diagnosis. "John has Down syndrome and needs a guardian" will not survive the probable cause review. "John cannot understand or manage banking transactions, cannot evaluate medical treatment options, and has been unable to communicate informed consent for educational evaluations" gives the court something to work with.

Missing the 15-day affidavit window. The clinician examination must occur within 15 days of the filing date. Families who schedule the evaluation without a filing date in mind often miss this window.

Filing in the wrong county. The petition must be filed where the proposed ward resides or is physically found — not where the petitioner lives. If you live in Fulton County but your adult child resides in a group home in Gwinnett County, you file in Gwinnett.

Not preparing for the fee. Base filing fees vary by county, from roughly $175 to $205; bundled initial costs can reach approximately $856. Call your county probate court before filing to confirm the current fee schedule and whether they accept checks, cash, or credit cards.

The Georgia Adult Guardianship & Alternatives Guide includes a pre-filing checklist that walks through every GPCSF 12 section, the clinician affidavit requirements, and county-specific filing procedures.

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