North Dakota Guardianship Forms: A Guide to Forms 1 Through 11

Where to Find the Official Forms

The North Dakota Court System's Legal Self-Help Center publishes all adult guardianship forms online. These are the only court-approved forms for self-represented litigants filing guardianship petitions. Third-party form generators — the kind that show up in Google ads — don't produce documents formatted for North Dakota's district courts and frequently omit state-specific requirements.

The court system numbers the guardianship forms 1 through 11, and they're designed to be filed in a specific sequence that tracks the procedural timeline from petition through appointment.

The Core Filing Forms

Form 1: Petition for Appointment of Guardian is the foundational document. It identifies the proposed ward, states why guardianship is necessary, and requests the court to appoint the petitioner (or another named person) as guardian. The petition must specify whether you're requesting limited or full guardianship and, for a limited guardianship, identify exactly which decision-making areas require court intervention.

The narrative section of Form 1 is where most self-represented petitioners struggle. The court needs specific, factual descriptions of the proposed ward's functional limitations — not medical jargon, but concrete examples of how the disability affects daily decision-making in each of the six statutory areas: residential, educational, medical, legal, vocational, and financial.

Form 2: Confidential Information Form contains sensitive data — Social Security numbers, financial account numbers, and identifying information that the court needs but that should not be part of the public record. This form is filed under seal. The critical detail: redact SSNs and account numbers on Form 1 and include the full numbers only on Form 2.

Court-Appointed Evaluator Forms

Once the petition is filed, the court appoints three evaluators whose reports drive the hearing:

Form 4: Guardian Ad Litem (GAL) Report — the GAL is an independent attorney who represents the proposed ward's interests. The GAL meets with the proposed ward, explains the proceedings, and files a written recommendation about whether guardianship is appropriate and, if so, in what scope.

Form 6: Visitor Report — the visitor is typically a social worker or nurse who visits the proposed ward's residence, interviews the proposed guardian, and evaluates the ward's functional abilities in context. This report gives the court a practical picture of daily life.

Form 7: Order for Expert Examination — the court issues this order directing a physician, psychiatrist, advanced practice registered nurse, physician assistant, or psychologist to conduct a clinical evaluation.

Form 8: Expert Examiner Report — the clinician's formal assessment, including a medical prognosis regarding the severity and expected duration of the impairment. This report must address whether the impairment affects the proposed ward's ability to make decisions in each of the six statutory areas.

Hearing and Appointment Forms

Form 9: Notice of Hearing and Statement of Rights — formal notice to the proposed ward and all interested parties (family members, current care providers) about the hearing date, time, and location. The notice must include a statement of the proposed ward's rights, including the right to attend the hearing, to be represented by an attorney, and to object to the guardianship.

Form 10: Order Appointing Guardian — the court's order after the hearing. For a limited guardianship, this order specifies the exact areas where the guardian has authority and the areas where the ward retains decision-making rights. This is the document that determines which civil liberties the ward keeps.

Form 11: Letters of Guardianship — the operational document. These letters are what you present to banks, hospitals, schools, and government agencies as proof of your legal authority. The court issues both a confidential version (full details) and a redacted version (for everyday use). Certified copies typically cost $20 each.

Filing Fees and Waivers

The civil district court filing fee for an adult guardianship petition is $160 (increased from $80 effective July 1, 2025, under Senate Bill 2057). Under NDCC § 30.1-28-03, this fee is waived entirely when the petition is filed by a member of the individual treatment plan team or a state employee in the performance of official duties.

Beyond the filing fee, the significant costs are the court-appointed evaluators: GAL fees typically run $1,000–$1,500, expert examiner fees $300–$500, and visitor fees $200–$300. These costs are paid from the proposed ward's estate or by the petitioner, depending on the court's order.

What Self-Represented Petitioners Should Know

Filing without an attorney is legally permitted in North Dakota. The Legal Self-Help Center specifically designs its forms for this purpose. However, the petition narrative and the hearing itself require a level of preparation that the forms alone don't provide — knowing what the GAL and visitor are looking for, how to present functional limitations in terms the court expects, and how to frame a limited guardianship order that actually covers the areas of concern.

The North Dakota Guardianship & Alternatives Guide walks self-represented petitioners through each form with plain-language drafting guidance, including how to structure the petition narrative, prepare for the evaluator visits, and present a limited guardianship request that preserves the maximum autonomy the court will allow.

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