Persons interested in the activities of a Certified Professional Guardian must be aware of two separate entities that supervise Professional Guardians.

 

 

Under Washington State law, RCW 11.88 and RCW 11.92, the superior court of each county appoints and supervises all guardians. A person who has a concern about the behavior of a guardian in a particular guardianship should present those concerns to the superior court.

 

In almost all cases, the superior court is the main venue for grievances about the actions of a Professional Guardian. As described below, complaints to the Certified Professional Guardian Board (Board) that have not been reviewed by the court will ordinarily not be accepted for review and will be referred to the superior court in the appropriate county.

 

If a judge has signed a court order that finds that a guardian has failed in some way, this document can be forwarded to the Board along with the Grievance form for further action.

 

 

The Board was created by the Washington State Supreme Court General Rule 23 for the purposes of certifying and regulating Professional Guardians in Washington. The Board has created regulations affecting how guardians should behave and implementing disciplinary procedures.

 

 

General Rule 23 has three provisions that relate directly to the Board’s acceptance and review of complaints against professional guardians:

 

 

 

 

 

The Board has developed Standards of Practice. These set out the minimum standard of behavior that is expected of professional guardians. The Board has also promulgated Disciplinary Regulations. Individuals contemplating making a complaint should closely review Disciplinary Regulation 504, Review by Standards of Practice Committee.

 

 

 

By far the best way to advocate for a person who is the subject of a guardianship is to hire an attorney who is familiar with guardianship to try to resolve the matter informally or, failing that, to help you take the appropriate action in court. If you have an attorney, it is strongly suggested that you discuss your concerns with counsel.

 

People who choose not to retain counsel have the alternative of directly contacting the superior court with a complaint. Washington law, (RCW 11.88.120 -- Modification or Termination of Guardianship) provides the procedure by which this can be done. In brief, a complainant may write a letter specifying concerns about the conduct of a guardian to the Presiding Judge of the County Superior Court. Upon receipt of such a letter, the statute provides that court must either schedule a “show cause” hearing, appoint a guardian ad litem, or dismiss the complaint as being frivolous on its face. The Grievance Form on this site may be used as a guideline for writing such a letter. Click here for an address list for County Superior Courts.

 

 

Click here to download and complete the Grievance Form.  Please read and follow the directions. If you are unable to download the form, contact:

 

Administrative Office of the Courts

ATTN: Certified Professional Guardian Board

1206 S Quince

PO Box 41170

Olympia, WA 98504-1170

(360) 705-5227