MASSACHUSETTS LAW REGARDING GUARDIANSHIP OF MINORS
MASSACHUSETTS GENERAL LAWS, CHAPTER 201

JURISDICTION

Section 1. Probate, district or juvenile court; power over appointments

The probate court may, if it appears necessary or convenient, appoint guardians of minors, mentally ill persons, mentally retarded persons, persons unable to make or communicate informed decisions due to physical incapacity or illness, and spendthrifts and conservators of the property of persons by reason of mental weakness, mental retardation or, physical incapacity unable to properly care for their property, who are inhabitants of or residents in the county or who reside out of the commonwealth and have estate within the county. The district or juvenile court may, when it appears necessary or convenient, appoint guardians of minors if the person who is the subject of the petition is a minor and there is a proceeding before such district or juvenile court.

For the purposes of this chapter, a mentally retarded person is a person who, as a result of inadequately developed or impaired intelligence, is substantially limited in his ability to learn or adapt, as determined in accordance with established standards for the evaluation of a person's ability to function in society.

GUARDIANS OF MINORS

Section 2. Guardians of minors; appointment

If a minor is under fourteen the probate court may nominate and appoint his guardian. If a bond is required for an appointment under the provisions of this section, a parent of a minor child may file a bond, without sureties, relative to his appointment as guardian of said child. If he is above that age he may nominate his own guardian, who, if approved by the court, shall be appointed accordingly. Such nomination may be made before a justice of the peace, notary public or city or town clerk within the commonwealth who shall certify the fact to the probate court. Upon the filing of a petition for the appointment of a guardian under this section, the court shall appoint a time and place for a hearing, and shall cause not less than seven days' notice thereof to be given to the mother and father of said minor, if living, unless they have assented to the filing of said petition; otherwise notice shall be given to the nearest relatives of full age, and if there are no known relatives within the commonwealth notice shall be given by publication as directed by the court. If the person nominated is not approved by the court, or if the minor resides out of the commonwealth, or if the minor after being cited neglects to nominate a suitable person, the court may nominate and appoint his guardian in the same manner as if he were under fourteen. If the minor is a married woman no guardian shall be appointed without such notice to her husband as the court may order. In the matter of said appointment and all subsequent proceedings relating thereto, the United States veterans' bureau or its successor shall be deemed to be a party in interest and shall receive such notice as the court may order, if the ward or proposed ward is entitled to any benefit, estate or income paid or payable by or through said bureau or its successor. If the minor is or was a recipient of any type of public assistance, the court shall notify the IV-D agency, as set forth in chapter 119A, of all proceedings relating to the appointment of a guardian for the minor and the IV-D agency shall be permitted to intervene in such proceedings on behalf of the department of transitional assistance, the department of social services, the division of medical assistance, or any other public assistance program of the commonwealth.

Section 2A. Application of general guardianship statutes to standby or emergency guardianship proxies

The provisions of this chapter relating to guardians shall apply to standby and emergency short-term guardianship proxies, except insofar as sections two B to two H, inclusive, provide otherwise.

Section 2B. Designation of standby or emergency guardianship proxy

A parent or parents may designate, in writing, an adult person or persons to be appointed as standby guardianship proxy or proxies hereinafter referred to as proxy of the person or estate, or both, of a minor, whether or not such minor is born at the time of such designation.

A person who is not the natural parent of the minor but who has been awarded custody of said minor by a court of competent jurisdiction may also designate a standby guardian pursuant to this chapter.

A parent or parents may designate, in writing, an adult person or persons to be appointed as successor proxy of a minor's person or estate, or both, whether or not such minor is born at the time of designation.

The designation of both proxy and successor proxy shall be witnessed by two or more persons, at least eighteen years of age, neither of whom is to be designated as the proxy. Said designation may be proved by any evidence. If a designation is executed and attested in the same manner as a will, pursuant to section two of chapter one hundred and ninety-two, it shall be presumed to be valid.

Section 2C. Appointment of proxy or successor proxy; affidavit

Upon the filing of a petition for the appointment of a proxy or a successor proxy, the court may appoint the proxy and successor proxy of the person or estate, or both, of a minor in accordance with the standards established under this chapter.

The petition may be accompanied by an affidavit, which may include the facts concerning (a) the consent of the minor's parent or parents to the appointment of the proxy; (b) the willingness and ability of the minor's parent or parents, if any, to make and carry out day-to-day child care decisions concerning the minor; and (c) the parent or parents' wishes regarding future custodial arrangements and permanency planning for the minor. In all actions to appoint a proxy the parent's or parents' affidavits and any other papers, documents or reports filed in connection therewith shall not be available for inspection, unless a judge of the court where such orders are kept, for good cause shown, shall otherwise order. Such affidavits, papers, documents and record books shall be segregated. The parent or parents, or their attorney, shall have access to and the right to obtain copies of the affidavits, papers, documents, record books and judgment in actions pursuant to this chapter. The petitioner's appearance in court shall not be required, if the petitioner is medically unable to appear, except upon motion and for good cause shown.

Section 2D. Commencement of authority of proxy; duration

The proxy's authority to act shall commence upon; (i) the death of the minor's parent or parents; (ii) the consent of the minor's parent or parents; or (iii) the incapacity of the minor's parent or parents to make and carry out day-to-day child care decisions concerning the minor for whom the proxy has been appointed, as established by the written certification of a licensed physician.

Immediately upon the death or consent of the minor's parent or parents, or upon the written certification of incapacity as established by a licensed physician, the proxy shall assume all duties as proxy of the minor as previously determined by the order appointing the proxy.

The proxy shall not be valid unless accompanied by the dated consent form, physician's letter or death certificate. The proxy of the minor shall have the authority to act as a guardian of the minor without direction of the court for a period of up to ninety consecutive days, provided that the authority of the proxy may be limited or terminated by a court of competent jurisdiction.

Upon the commencement of authority of the proxy, pursuant to the consent of the minor's parent or parents, such authority shall not, itself, divest the parent or parents of any parental or guardianship rights, but shall confer upon the proxy concurrent authority with respect to the minor. Within ninety consecutive days of the commencement of authority of the proxy, the proxy shall file or cause to be filed, pursuant to section two, a petition for the appointment of a guardian of the person or estate, or both, of the minor.

Section 2E. Revocation of proxy designation

A petitioner or designee may revoke a designation or a proxy not yet appointed by the court, by notifying all necessary parties in writing of the revocation. A petitioner, or the proxy approved by the court, may vacate the appointment by filing with the court a written revocation and by promptly notifying all necessary parties of the revocation.

Section 2F. Withdrawal of consent to proxy

If a parent who has consented to the commencement of authority of the proxy withdraws such consent, the proxy shall again become inactive and the proxy shall return to having standby authority, under the same terms and conditions as prior to the commencement of authority, with respect to the minor.

If a licensed physician determines that the parent or parents have regained capacity, the authority of the proxy, which commenced pursuant to a determination of incapacity, shall again become inactive and the proxy shall return to having standby authority, under the same terms and conditions as prior to the commencement of authority pursuant to section two D.

The successor proxy shall assume all duties and responsibilities as proxy of the minor as previously determined by the order appointing the successor proxy.

Section 2G. Appointment of emergency proxy

A parent or parents, may appoint, in writing, without court approval, an adult person or persons to serve as short-term emergency guardianship proxy or proxies hereinafter referred to as emergency proxy of a minor, whether or not such minor is born at the time of appointment. The written instrument appointing the emergency proxy shall be dated and shall identify the appointing parent or parents, the minor and the person or persons appointed to be the emergency proxy. The written instrument shall be signed by, or at the direction of, the appointing parent or parents, in the presence of at least two witnesses at least eighteen years of age, neither of whom is the person or persons to be appointed as the emergency proxy. The emergency proxy shall also sign the written instrument, but need not sign at the same time as the appointing parent or parents.

A parent shall not appoint an emergency proxy of a minor, if the minor has another living parent whose parental rights have not been terminated, whose whereabouts are known and who is willing and able to make and carry out day-to-day child care decisions concerning the minor, unless the nonappointing parent consents to the appointment by signing the written instrument of appointment. The appointment of the emergency proxy shall be effective immediately upon the date the written instrument is executed, unless the written instrument provides for the appointment to become effective upon a later specified date or event. The emergency proxy shall have authority to act as guardian of the minor for a period of sixty days from the date the appointment becomes effective, unless the written instrument provides for the appointment to terminate upon an earlier specified date or event. Only one written instrument appointing an emergency proxy may be in force at any given time.

Every appointment of an emergency proxy may be amended or revoked by the appointing parent or parents at any time by promptly notifying all necessary parties of the amendment or revocation. The commencement of an emergency proxy's authority pursuant to the consent of a parent or parents shall not itself, divest the parent or parents of any parental or guardianship rights, but shall confer upon the emergency proxy concurrent authority with respect to the minor.

Section 3. Testamentary guardian

A father or mother may by will appoint a guardian for a minor child, whether born at the time of making the will or afterward, to continue during minority or for a less time, effective when the guardian accepts appointment by filing his bond in acceptable form, except that if a guardian has already been appointed, whether testamentary or otherwise, a later testamentary appointment shall become effective only when approved by the court. A testamentary guardian appointed by will of a parent shall have the same powers and perform the same duties relative to the property of the ward, and, if the other parent is not living, relative to the person of the ward, as a guardian appointed under section two. If application is made to the probate court for approval of the appointment of a testamentary guardian after the appointment of a guardian, whether testamentary or otherwise, has become effective, notice of such application shall be given to such previous guardian, and thereafter the court may remove such previous guardian and approve the appointment in his place of the person applying for approval of appointment as testamentary guardian or it may appoint any other suitable person, or it may approve the appointment of the person making such application to serve as guardian with the guardian already in office.

Section 4. Powers

The guardian of a minor unless sooner discharged according to law shall continue in office until the minor attains the age of eighteen years and shall have the care and management of all his estate.

Section 5. Minors; custody and education; marriage; effect

The guardian of a minor shall have the custody of his person and the care of his education, except that the parents of the minor, jointly, or the surviving parent shall have such custody and said care unless the court otherwise orders. The probate court may, upon the written consent of the parents or surviving parent, order that the guardian shall have such custody; and may so order if, upon a hearing and after such notice to the parents or surviving parent as it may order, it finds such parents, jointly, or the surviving parent, unfit to have such custody; or if it finds one of them unfit therefor and the other files in court his or her written consent to such order. The marriage of a person under guardianship as a minor shall deprive his guardian of all right to the custody and education of such person but not of the care and possession of such person's property. If a corporation is appointed guardian of a minor, the court may, subject to the right of his parents, or of the spouse of a minor, as provided in this section, award the custody to some suitable person. The court may revoke the appointment of a guardian if the party petitioning for revocation proves a substantial and material change of circumstances and if the revocation is in the child's best interest.

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