Guardianships are established for persons for various reasons;
such as an adult who lacks the ability to care for him/herself in
some aspect, a minor who has received an inheritance, or a minor who has received a settlement for a personal injury claim. These certainly are not the only reasons that guardianships are established, but the majority of guardianships in St. Johns County have arisen for needs such as these.
A function of the Civil Division of the St. Johns County Clerk’s Office is to audit and monitor the guardianship files active
in St. Johns County. We will do our very best to assist the public in any way that we can. However, please be advised that our capacity does not permit us to give out legal advice or guidance in completing the various guardianship reports that are required.
As some guardianships require the filing of a Verified Inventory of Guardian of the Property or an Annual Accounting of the Guardian of the Property, our office charges an audit fee for these reports. Please see the Guardianship Fee Schedule below for a breakdown of the audit fees.
Resources
Certain individuals can petition the court for entry of an order protecting vulnerable adults from being exploited.
Who is a Vulnerable Adult:
- An adult with impaired ability to perform normal activities.
- An adult unable to provide their own care or protection.
- Impairment due to any of the following disability (mental, emotional, sensory, long-term physical or developmental), brain damage, or infirmities of aging.
Who may file a Petition:
- A vulnerable adult in imminent danger of being exploited.
- The guardian of a vulnerable adult who is in imminent danger of being exploited.
- A person or organization acting with the consent of the vulnerable adult, or his/her guardian.
- A person who simultaneously files a petition for determination of incapacity and appointment of an emergency temporary guardian with respect to the vulnerable adult.
If a guardianship case is pending, the petition must be filed in that case; otherwise, it must be filed in the circuit where the vulnerable adult resides.
Using the Guardianship Fraud Hotline, (866) 272-4351, you can anonymously report potential incidents of financial fraud or waste involving court-appointed guardianships over elderly, minor children and incapacitated individuals. This includes but is not limited to:
- Missing money or property
- Suspicious loans, funds transfers, opened or closed accounts/lines of credit
- Suspicious purchase or sale of real or personal property
- Violations of federal, state or local laws, rules or regulations
- Guardian has a conflict of interest or exhibits signs of a more expensive lifestyle
- Forced removal of the ward from their home or residence
How to Report Guardianship Fraud
- Online: File a report here
- Hotline: (866) 272-4351
- Address: 4010 Lewis Speedway, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Submissions are sent directly to the Office of Inspector General.
If you suspect physical abuse or neglect, please contact the Florida Department of Children and Families at (800) 96ABUSE or (800) 962-2873.
| Item | Fee |
| Guardianship | |
| Formal Administration | $400.00 |
| Trust Administration | $400.00 |
| Summary Administration (Estates valued @ $1,000 or more) | $345.00 |
| Summary Administration (Estates valued @ less than $1,000) | $235.00 |
| Petition and One Order | $231.00 |
| Petition and Order to admit foreign wills, Authenticated copies or transcript of record | $231.00 |
| Disposition of Personal Property without Administration | $231.00 |
| Caveat | $41.00 |
| Notice of Trust | $41.00 |
| Petition to Determine Incapacity and Restoration | $231.00 |
| Guardianship | |
| Guardianship of the Person and Property | $400.00 |
| Guardianship of the Property Only | $400.00 |
| Guardianship of the Person Only | $235.00 |
| Veteran Guardianship | $235.00 |
| Auditing of the verified inventory of more than $25,000 | $85.00 |
| Annual Auditing: The guardian shall pay from the ward’s estate to the Clerk of the Circuit Court a fee based upon the following graduated fee schedule, upon the filing of the annual financial return or simplified financial return, for the auditing of the return. Please note: Fees will be adjusted, if necessary, based upon audit adjustments. | |
| For estates with a value of $25,000 or less | $20.00 |
| For estates with a value of more than $25,000 up to and including $100,000 | $85.00 |
| For estates with a value of more than $100,000 up to and including $500,000 | $170.00 |
| For estates with a value in excess of $500,000 | $250.00 |
| Additional | |
| Copies per page | $1.00 |
| Additional fee for certification | $2.00 |
| Additional fee for exemplification | $7.00 |
| Recording – first page | $10.00 |
| Recording – each additional page | $8.50 |
| Approving bond | $7.50 |
