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Guardianships

Guardianships

Guardianship Tracking System

Pennsylvania ranks 4th in the nation for the highest population percentage of elders over age 65.

Recognizing this issue, the state’s Supreme Court formed the Elder Law Task Force in 2014, which was tasked with recommending ways to better protect the Commonwealth’s rapidly growing population of elders.

The Advisory Council on Elder Justice in the Courts was established to oversee the implementation of the task force’s many recommendations – one of which was the development of the Guardianship Tracking System (GTS) to monitor guardian activity at a statewide level.

On an even broader scale, GTS will help better protect adults of all ages under guardianship while effectively streamlining the process of filing guardianship annual reports and the inventory.  In fact, the GTS was developed by the judiciary to be equally beneficial to all parties involved in the guardianship process –incapacitated persons, guardians and the courts.

1. The Guardianship Tracking System (GTS) is essentially an e-filing system that incorporates statewide  guardianship information and simplifies the guardian filing process of mandated reports.

2. The GTS is to be used by professional and family guardians, judges, court staff, Orphans’ Court clerks and others involved in the guardianship process.

3. The GTS will better protect adults of all ages under guardianship by allowing courts to identify red flags and respond to potential problems immediately.

4. The GTS will benefit guardians by: 

  • Allowing them to file annual reports and inventory forms online at their convenience  
  • Sending them automatic reminders about important upcoming filing dates and overdue notices  
  • Eliminating the potential for mathematical errors in their filings  

5. The GTS integrates guardian information into a statewide database rather than separate, individual county databases which will:  

  • Provide statewide statistical reporting that will generate information about guardianship trends that will help decision makers draft laws and establish procedures to better protect our most vulnerable citizens
  • Eliminate the potential for an unsuitable guardian to relocate to another county that has no record of their previous misconduct 

6. All counties in Pennsylvania were using the system by the end of 2018. 

7. The GTS is a product of the recommendations made by the Elder Law Task Force and was developed by the Office of Elder Justice in the Courts and the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts/IT under direction from the Advisory Council on Elder Justice in the Courts.

Guardianship-Incapacitation

A petition for guardianship of an alleged incapacitated adult is filed in the Orphans' Court. A hearing date is assigned and a citation is issued. If petition is granted a final decree is signed appointing a guardian by a Judge and is entered into court record. The guardian will be responsible for filing of an Inventory and Annual Reports in Orphans' Court regarding their guardianship within the Guardianship Tracking System (GTS). 

Effective September 11, 2018, the Clerk of Courts office went live with the Guardianship Tracking System (GTS) implemented by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts upon direction of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court. 

Guardianship Tracking System Workshops will be held to show court-appointed guardians how to use the new GTS.  GTS made it possible for the guardian of an adult incapacitated persons to file inventory and annual reports online from any internet-accessible computer and is available in all counties effective December 31, 2018.   

The original petition shall be filed in the Clerk of Courts Office along with the filing fee.
The Clerk of Courts office will assign a docket number and forward document to the Orphans' Court Judge.

An Order of Court will be filed in the Clerk of Courts office.  The Order will direct a Citation be issued.  A copy will be forwarded to the Petitioner for service.

Hearing date and times will be scheduled by the Court. 

Guardianship - Minors

A petition for guardianship of a minor is filed in Orphans' Court. A hearing date is assigned. If the petition is granted a final decree is signed and a guardian is appointed by the Judge. In cases where the minor is awarded money, the minor must have a guardian appointed by the Court to ensure proper handling of the minor's estate.
  • The original and two copies of the petition shall be filed in the Clerk of Courts Office along with the filing fee
  • The Clerk of Courts office will assign a docket number and forward document to the Orphans' Court Judge.  
  • An Order of Court will be filed in the Clerk of Courts office. A copy will be forwarded to the Petitioner for service.  
  • Hearing date and times will be scheduled by the Court.

Forms