Minor Guardianship Investigations

When a child’s care is unstable, relatives and other caregivers may need a reliable account of what has happened. We document daily caregiving, specific incidents and household conditions for legal review in a minor guardianship matter.

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What Does This Investigation Cover?

Minor Guardianship Investigations

If a child is in immediate danger, call 911. For an urgent guardianship concern, contact your attorney or a court self-help resource promptly about available procedures. We can help organize dated care-environment observations, witness information, and existing records for review; we do not decide guardianship eligibility or act as a court evaluator.

What we look into: guardianship evidence, care-environment conditions, and custodial-risk incidents.
Also useful for: school-attendance disruptions, medical-neglect concerns, and household-stability observations.
Purpose: document specific child-safety and caregiving facts so counsel can assess the guardianship question.
What you receive: an incident and care timeline, corroborating witness information and a source-referenced report that explains what could be verified.
What we won't do: attempt prohibited contact or take any action that violates active court orders.

What Services Support This Investigation?

The investigation may combine current observations with records and accounts of earlier disruptions in care.

Surveillance Services

Observe relevant caregiver routines and exchanges, documenting the conditions visible during the agreed period.

Process Service

Attempt service of the appropriate documents and record each attempt and result. Counsel determines the applicable requirements.

Witness Interview Services

Interview witnesses about daily care and specific incidents, identifying what they personally saw and any material that corroborates it.

Background Check Services

Review relevant public records concerning identified caregivers and households. School, medical and CPS records require lawful access and proper authority.

Washington Law and Court Sources

Chapter 11.130 includes Washington’s minor guardianship framework. Use the court forms and instructions with counsel or a court self-help resource to understand the process; we supply factual investigation rather than an eligibility decision.

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What Should You Expect From This Process?

After addressing any immediate safety concern, gather the current orders, incident dates and available records. We will discuss the factual questions counsel needs answered and the work that could help.

First call: Your initial consultation is free and lasts 30 minutes. We discuss the question, your deadline and whether investigation can help. Additional communication outside the agreed task is $150 per hour, prepaid separately; communication included in the task is not charged twice.
Typical planning window: Most plans are developed within 48 hours of intake once the facts, urgency, and legal posture are clear.
Costs: Lite is $150 per investigator-hour; Heavy is $300 per investigator-hour. Preparation and report writing each cost $150/hour. Round-trip travel from our Tacoma office is $2.50/minute. Other time is billed in whole hours, with partial hours rounded up. Each purchased service hour carries $15 in expense credit for Lite or $30 for Heavy. Credits on hours used for your task cover only that task's expenses; any remainder expires at report delivery. Expenses are charged at cost. Applicable surcharges are separate dollar charges, not deductions from service hours. We confirm the work, schedule and prepaid costs by text and email. See Pricing for unused-time, credit, specialist and other fee terms.
Reporting: We arrange the care history and incidents by date, identify the source of each account and explain where corroboration is missing. The report supports legal review without making a clinical or guardianship determination.

Frequently Asked Questions About Minor Guardianship Investigations

What are you usually trying to learn in a minor guardianship case?

We investigate who provides daily care, when disruptions or incidents occurred and what records or firsthand witnesses can corroborate them. The findings may address school-attendance disruptions, medical-neglect concerns or household stability. We do not decide whether guardianship should be granted or conduct a clinical evaluation.

How do you decide what kind of work fits a minor guardianship case?

We review the incidents, current orders and evidence already available. Counsel can identify the facts needed for the guardianship inquiry. We then discuss observation, interviews or records work that fits those questions and the deadline.

Will I hear from you during my minor guardianship investigation?

Yes. We establish update points and identify any authorized attorney contact. We notify you if a development changes the proposed scope or cost. Immediate danger should be reported to 911 without waiting for an investigation update.

Need help deciding what to do next?

For urgent procedural help, contact your attorney or a court self-help resource. To discuss factual investigation, have the care history, relevant orders and specific incident dates available.

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