Quote:
| Originally Posted by Carboholic How long does it normally take to get a guardianship bond? |
Underwriting requirements will include completion of an application. Generally speaking, a personal credit report will be ordered on the proposed guardian. If the credit report is clean, and it's verified that the "estate" will be handled in accordance with the rules of the Probate Court, the bond can be issued fairly quickly. The premium for the full term of the bond (until the minor reaches legal age) must be paid in advance, which may result in a prepayment discount, depending upon the bond company's rate filings. This response does assume the guardianship is for a minor child. Guardians of incapacitated adults are underwritten in a similar manner.
The process slows down when there's a poor credit report or the size of the estate is so large, it would be dangerous to write the bond without involvement of an attorney to help manage handling the estate.
There is a Public Administrator that works with the Probate Court to step in and serve where the relatives are unable to do so (inability to post the required bond would create that situation). Local statutes set the fees that can be charged for performing the service, and the Public Administrator will have a bond company already set up to supply the bonds when needed.