2015 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 45a - Probate Courts and Procedure
Chapter 802h - Protected Persons and Their Property
Section 45a-670 - (Formerly Sec. 45-322). Application for guardianship.

(a) An application for guardianship may be filed by the court on its own motion or by any adult person. The application and all records of Probate Court proceedings held as a result of the filing of such application, except for the name of any guardian of the respondent, shall be sealed and shall be made available only to the respondent or the respondent’s counsel or guardian, and to the Commissioner of Developmental Services or the commissioner’s designee, unless the Probate Court, after hearing held with notice to the respondent or the respondent’s counsel or guardian, and to the commissioner or the commissioner’s designee, determines that such application and records should be disclosed for cause shown. An application filed by the court on its own motion shall contain a statement of the facts on which the court bases its motion, and such statement of facts shall be included in any notice to the respondent. Any other application filed shall allege that a respondent, by reason of the severity of the respondent’s intellectual disability, is unable to meet essential requirements for the respondent’s physical health and safety and unable to make informed decisions about matters relating to the respondent’s care. Such application shall be filed in the court of probate in the district in which the respondent resides or is domiciled. Such application shall state: (1) Whether there is, in any jurisdiction, a guardian, limited guardian, or conservator for the respondent; (2) the extent of the respondent’s inability to meet essential requirements for the respondent’s physical health or safety, and the extent of the respondent’s inability to make informed decisions about matters related to the respondent’s care; (3) any other facts upon which guardianship is sought; and (4) in the case of a limited guardianship, the specific areas of protection and assistance required for the respondent.

(b) An application for guardianship may be filed by the parent or guardian of a minor child up to one hundred eighty days prior to the date such child attains the age of eighteen if the parent or guardian anticipates that such minor child will require a guardian upon attaining the age of eighteen. The court may grant such application in accordance with this section, provided such order shall take effect no earlier than the date the child attains the age of eighteen.

(P.A. 82-337, S. 3; P.A. 86-323, S. 2; P.A. 00-22, S. 2; P.A. 07-73, S. 2(b); P.A. 11-129, S. 1.)

History: P.A. 86-323 added provision permitting court to file an application for guardianship on its own motion, and requiring such motion to contain statement of facts on which court bases its motion, substituted “unable to meet essential requirements for his physical health and safety” for “incapable of caring for himself” and added requirement that application of guardianship shall contain “any other facts upon which guardianship is sought”; Sec. 45-322 transferred to Sec. 45a-670 in 1991; P.A. 00-22 made technical changes and added provisions re disclosure of the application and records of Probate Court proceedings; pursuant to P.A. 07-73 “Commissioner of Mental Retardation” was changed editorially by the Revisors to “Commissioner of Developmental Services”, effective October 1, 2007; P.A. 11-129 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and amended same to substitute “intellectual disability” for “mental retardation”, and added Subsec. (b) re application for guardianship by parent or guardian up to 180 days prior to child’s attaining age eighteen.

Annotation to former section 45-322:

Cited. 9 CA 413.

Annotation to present section:

Cited. 240 C. 766.