Kansas Guardianship Forms: Where to Find Them and How to Use the 2026 Judicial Council Templates

Where to Download the Official Forms

The Kansas Judicial Council publishes guardianship and conservatorship forms as free, fillable PDFs on its website. These are the statewide standard forms for Kansas district-court filings; check the local clerk for any additional county requirements.

The Judicial Council reorganized its forms after House Bill 2359 took effect on January 1, 2026, so older versions downloaded before that date may be missing required fields. The current forms are available at the Judicial Council's guardianship and conservatorship page, separated into adult and minor categories.

Here are the core forms you'll encounter in a typical adult guardianship proceeding:

Petition stage:

• Petition for Appointment of Guardian and/or Conservator of an Adult
• Confidential Certificate of Treating Physician (clinical evaluation)
• Order Appointing Client-Directed Counsel
• Order Appointing Court Liaison
• Notice of Hearing

Post-appointment:

• Order Appointing Guardian/Conservator
• Guardianship Plan (mandatory under KUGCOPAA; file for court approval no later than 60 days after appointment)
• Conservatorship Plan
• Report of the Guardian of the Child or Adult Subject to Guardianship with Annual Financial Report
• Conservator's Report and Annual Accounting
• Letters of Guardianship/Conservatorship

Emergency proceedings:

• Petition for Emergency Guardianship and/or Conservatorship
• Order for Emergency Guardianship/Conservatorship

The Mandatory Guardianship Plan — New in 2026

The biggest change from the 2026 overhaul is the mandatory Guardianship Plan. After appointment, the guardian must file an individualized plan with the court for approval no later than 60 days after appointment. The plan specifies:

• Which decision-making areas the guardian will control and which the individual retains
• How the guardian will support the individual's participation in decisions to the maximum extent possible
• How the guardian will maintain the individual's social connections and community involvement
• The individual's known values, preferences, and expressed wishes (the "substituted judgment" standard)
• Specific goals for the coming year

This is not a checkbox form. It requires narrative detail about the individual's life, and courts will reject generic or boilerplate plans. Writing a plan that satisfies the court is one of the most common reasons families either hire an attorney or need to revise the plan after filing.

County-Specific Variations

While the Judicial Council forms are statewide, individual counties add their own requirements:

Johnson County (10th Judicial District) requires a Johnson County Civil Information Sheet filed alongside the petition. The standard filing fee is $195.

Shawnee County (3rd Judicial District) requires local cover sheets with the petition. The docket fee is $91.50 (the statutory base of $69.50 plus a $22 surcharge under K.S.A. 59-104).

Sedgwick County (18th Judicial District) uses county-specific versions of the annual accounting and guardian report forms. The base fee is $132.

All three counties mandate electronic filing for attorneys. Self-represented petitioners can generally file paper documents at the clerk's window, though some counties require using public terminals in the courthouse.

Filing Pro Se (Without a Lawyer)

Kansas allows self-represented petitioners to file guardianship cases. The forms themselves are designed for this — they include instructions and are fillable on a computer before printing.

However, filing the forms correctly is only one part of the process. The court will also need:

• A completed clinical evaluation from a physician who has examined the respondent
• Proof of service showing that the respondent and their family have been formally notified
• A detailed Guardianship Plan to file after appointment for court approval no later than 60 days after appointment
• Payment of the docket fee (or a Poverty Affidavit under K.S.A. 59-104(b) to request a waiver)

The court automatically appoints an attorney to represent the respondent's interests, regardless of whether the petitioner has a lawyer. This court-appointed attorney's fees become part of the case costs — typically $500 under Shawnee County's local rule DCR 3.117, or variable in other counties.

Before You File: Check Whether You Need Court at All

Since January 2026, Kansas courts are legally required to confirm that no less-restrictive alternative would serve the individual's needs before granting a guardianship. If a combination of a Supported Decision-Making Agreement (under SB 84), durable powers of attorney, a healthcare POA, and a Representative Payee appointment would cover every area where the individual needs help, the court cannot grant the petition.

That means the smartest use of your time before downloading guardianship forms is evaluating whether you need them at all. The Kansas Adult Guardianship & Alternatives Guide walks through both paths — the non-court alternatives framework and the full guardianship process — so you can make that decision with the 2026 requirements in front of you.

See more Kansas guides →