LawWiki
HomeCodesSearchGlossaryAPIAbout
LawWiki

Plain English summaries of California law with zero-hallucination AI. Every summary is verified against official source text.

Product

  • Search
  • Codes
  • About

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Service
  • Disclaimer

© 2026 LawWiki. All rights reserved.

HomeProbate CodeDiv. 4Pt. 2Ch. 1Art. 2§ 1511 Guardian Appointment Notice Requirements

§ 1511 Guardian Appointment Notice Requirements

Probate Code·California
AI Summary·Official Text·Key Terms·Related Statutes·References
AI SummaryVerified

§ 1511 Guardian Appointment Notice Requirements

This law says you must give at least 15 days' notice before a hearing to appoint a guardian, and it tells exactly who must get the notice and how it should be sent.

Key Takeaways

  • •You must give at least 15 days' notice before a guardian appointment hearing and the court cannot shorten that time.
  • •Notice must be sent to the proposed ward (if 12 or older), legal custodian, parents, nominated guardian, spouse, relatives, and anyone caring for the ward, plus certain state agencies or the VA if needed.
  • •Some people don’t have to be notified, like parents of a child already placed with an adoption agency or a child declared free from custody, and the court can skip notice if the person can’t be found or if giving notice would hurt justice.
  • •Before the guardian is appointed, the court must prove each person got notice or that a valid reason exists for not giving it.

Example

A 14‑year‑old who can’t handle money has a petition filed to appoint a guardian. The court must send a notice of the hearing at least 15 days before the date to the teen, the teen’s parents, any legal custodian, the person nominated to be guardian, the teen’s spouse (if any), relatives, and the person caring for the teen.

The notice includes the hearing details, a copy of the petition, and a required form. It is sent by the methods allowed in the law, and the court must show it was sent or explain why it wasn’t.

AI-generated — May contain errors. Not legal advice. Always verify source.

Official Source
View on CA.gov

§ 1511 Guardian Appointment Notice Requirements

(a) Except as provided in subdivisions (f) and (g), at least 15 days before the hearing on the petition for the appointment of a guardian, notice of the time and place of the hearing shall be given as provided in subdivisions (b), (c), (d), and (e) of this section. The notice shall be accompanied by a copy of the petition and shall include a copy of the form required by Section 68511.1 of the Government Code. The court shall not shorten the time for giving the notice of hearing under this section. (b) Notice shall be served in the manner provided in Section 415.10 or 415.30 of the Code of Civil Procedure, or in any manner authorized by the court, on all of the following persons: (1) The proposed ward if 12 years of age or older. (2) Any person having legal custody of the proposed ward, or serving as guardian of the estate of the proposed ward. (3) The parents of the proposed ward. (4) Any person nominated as a guardian for the proposed ward under Section 1500 or 1501. (c) Notice shall be delivered pursuant to Section 1215 to the addresses stated in the petition, or in any manner authorized by the court, to all of the following: (1) The spouse named in the petition. (2) The relatives named in the petition, except that if the petition is for the appointment of a guardian of the estate only the court may dispense with the giving of notice to any one or more or all of the relatives. (3) The person having the care of the proposed ward if other than the person having legal custody of the proposed ward. (d) If notice is required by Section 1461 or 1542 to be given to the Director of State Hospitals or the Director of Developmental Services or the Director of Social Services, notice shall be delivered pursuant to Section 1215 as required. (e) If the petition states that the proposed ward is receiving or is entitled to receive benefits from the Veterans Administration, notice shall be delivered pursuant to Section 1215 to the office of the Veterans Administration referred to in Section 1461.5. (f) Unless the court orders otherwise, notice shall not be given to any of the following: (1) The parents or other relatives of a proposed ward who has been relinquished to a licensed adoption agency. (2) The parents of a proposed ward who has been judicially declared free from their custody and control. (g) Notice need not be given to any person if the court so orders upon a determination of either of the following: (1) The person cannot with reasonable diligence be given the notice. (2) The giving of the notice would be contrary to the interest of justice. (h) Before the appointment of a guardian is made, proof shall be made to the court that each person entitled to notice under this section either: (1) Has been given notice as required by this section. (2) Has not been given notice as required by this section because the person cannot with reasonable diligence be given the notice or because the giving of notice to that person would be contrary to the interest of justice. (i) If notice is required by Section 1460.2 to be given to an Indian custodian or tribe, notice shall be mailed as required. (Amended by Stats. 2021, Ch. 578, Sec. 2. (AB 260) Effective January 1, 2022.)

Last verified: January 11, 2026

Key Terms

petitionadoptionguardianshiphospitalbenefitscustodyhearingspouse

Related Statutes

  • § 1516.5 Freeing Child From Parents
  • § 1513.1 Guardianship Cost Assessment Rules
  • § 1211 Notice Of Hearing Form
  • § 1201 Notice Exemption For Petitioners
  • § 1205 Hearing Continuance Notice Rules

References

  • Official text at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov
  • California Legislature. Probate Code. Section 1511.
View Official Source