Authors: Roxana Ahmadian and Ames Smith What is legal guardianship? A legal guardian assumes temporary responsibility for a child, generally until the child turns eighteen. In California, a legal guardianship is established when a court appoints an individual to care for a particular child and/or the child’s property. Although some guardianship cases are handled in dependency court, the majority of guardianship cases actually take place in probate court. How does legal guardi