Clark County Guardianship Forms

The Forms You Need to File

Adult guardianship petitions in Clark County go through the Eighth Judicial District Court. Nevada uses statewide mandatory forms for guardianship proceedings — the Supreme Court's Guardianship Commission standardized these to prevent county-by-county inconsistencies.

Here are the required first-filing documents:

Statewide Form #1 — Petition for Appointment of Guardian Over Adult. This is the core document. It identifies the proposed ward (your parent), the proposed guardian (you), the basis for requesting guardianship, and the scope of authority you're seeking (person, estate, or both).

Statewide Form #2 — Confidential Information Sheet. Contains sensitive personal information about the proposed ward — Social Security number, date of birth, financial details. This is filed under seal and not part of the public record.

Family Court Cover Sheet. Required for all family court filings in Clark County. Identifies the case type and parties.

Physician's Certificate with Needs Assessment. Medical evidence of the parent's incapacity, documenting their functional limitations across cognitive, financial, medical, and daily living domains. Required under NRS 159.044.

Citation to Appear and Show Cause (Statewide Form #3). This is what gets served on the proposed ward and all relatives within the second degree of consanguinity. It notifies them of the petition and the hearing date.

Where to Get the Forms

Nevada Courts Self-Help Center: The statewide guardianship forms are available at selfhelp.nvcourts.gov under the guardianship section. These are the official, court-approved templates.

Family Law Self-Help Center (Clark County): The in-person self-help center at the Regional Justice Center in downtown Las Vegas provides guardianship packets with all required forms and instructional guides. Staff can answer procedural questions but cannot give legal advice.

Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada (LACSN): Publishes a comprehensive guardianship manual with the forms, step-by-step instructions, and sample completed documents. Their Guardianship Advocacy Project also provides limited direct assistance for qualifying families.

Filing Through eFileNV

Clark County requires electronic filing through the eFileNV system for most civil cases, including guardianship petitions. Here's the process:

1. Create an eFileNV account at efiling.nvcourts.gov
2. Select the correct court — Eighth Judicial District Court, Family Division
3. Upload your documents as PDFs — each form as a separate filing
4. Pay the filing fee — $0 for guardianship of the person only; $5 for guardianship of the estate when assets exceed $2,500. E-filing transaction fees of $3–$10 apply on top
5. Receive confirmation — the system assigns a case number and provides a time-stamped filing receipt

The Confidential Information Sheet uploads separately and is automatically restricted from public view.

After Filing: Service and the Hearing

Service requirements: Your parent must be personally served with the petition and Citation at least 10 days before the hearing. All relatives within the second degree (spouse, adult children, parents, adult siblings) must be served at least 10 days in advance if personally, or 20 days if by certified mail. Service must be performed by someone other than you — a private process server or the Clark County Sheriff's Civil Division.

The hearing: Typically scheduled four to eight weeks after filing. The judge reviews the medical evidence, hears from the proposed guardian, and may hear from the proposed ward or their attorney. If uncontested, the judge can appoint you at this hearing.

Background check timing: You'll need fingerprint clearance from the Nevada Department of Public Safety and the FBI. This takes four to eight weeks, so submit your fingerprints as soon as possible — ideally before or simultaneously with the petition filing. The court won't finalize the appointment without a cleared background check.

Common Filing Mistakes

Missing the Physician's Certificate. The court won't schedule a hearing without medical evidence of incapacity. Get the physician working on the certificate before you prepare the petition.

Incomplete service. Missing a sibling or serving too close to the hearing date invalidates the process. Map out all relatives within the second degree before filing and plan service logistics.

Wrong court division. In Clark County, guardianship cases go through the Family Division, not the civil division. Filing in the wrong division delays everything.

Insufficient detail in the petition. The petition should describe specific functional impairments — not just "Mom has dementia" but what the dementia prevents her from doing (managing her bank account, understanding medical options, maintaining personal hygiene). The more specific your examples, the stronger the petition.

The Nevada Power of Attorney & Guardianship Kit includes pre-formatted guardianship petition templates with the statewide forms, a step-by-step eFileNV guide, and the background check checklist to keep the process moving on parallel tracks.

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