General Trust Petition For Appointment Of A Guardian Ad Litem

There are all sorts of forms executors, beneficiaries, and probate court clerks have to fill out and correspond with during probate and estate settlement, including affidavits, letters, petitions, summons, orders, and notices.

General Trust Petition For Appointment Of A Guardian Ad Litem is a commonly used form within Massachusetts. Here’s an overview of what the form is and means, including a breakdown of the situations when (or why) you may need to use it:

(1/16/13) For use in Probate & Family Court under G.L. c. 203E, § 305(b). Interactive form features may not work properly in your browser. Please download the form and open it using Acrobat reader.

Atticus Fast Facts About General Trust Petition For Appointment Of A Guardian Ad Litem

Sometimes it’s tough to find a quick summary— here’s the important details you should know about General Trust Petition For Appointment Of A Guardian Ad Litem:

• This form pertains to the State of Massachusetts

Government forms are not typically updated often, though when they are, it often happens rather quietly. While Atticus works hard to keep this information about Massachusetts’s Form MPC 351 - General Trust Petition For Appointment Of A Guardian Ad Litem up to date, certain details can change from time-to-time with little or no communication.

Step 1 - Download the correct Massachusetts form based on the name and ID if applicable

Double check that you have both the correct form name and the correct form ID. Some Massachusetts probate forms can look remarkably similar, so it’s best to double, even triple-check that you’re using the right one! Keep in mind that not all States have a standardized Form ID system for their probate forms.

Step 2 - Complete the Document

Fill out all relevant fields in Form MPC 351, take a break, and then review. Probate and estate settlement processes in MA are long enough to begin with, and making a silly error can push your timeline even farther back. No thank you!

Note: If you don’t currently know all of the answers and are accessing Form MPC 351 online, be sure to avoid closing the browser tab and potentially losing all your progress (or use a platform like Atticus to help avoid making mistakes).

Step 3 - Have Form MPC 351 witnessed or notarized (if required)

Some States and situations require particular forms to be notarized. If you have been instructed to get the document notarized or see it in writing on the document, then make sure to hire a local notary. There are max notary fees in the United States that are defined and set by local law. Take a look at our full guide to notary fees to make sure you aren’t overpaying or getting ripped off.

Step 4 - Submit General Trust Petition For Appointment Of A Guardian Ad Litem to the relevant office

This is most often the local probate court where the decedent (person who passed away) is domiciled (permanently resides) or the institution involved with this particular form (e.g. a bank). Some offices allow you to submit forms online, other’s don’t, and we while we generally recommend going in-person to expedite the process, sometimes that simply isn’t an option.

It’s also a generally good idea to establish a positive working relationship with any probate clerk (unfortunately there’s enough people & process out there making things more difficult and unnecessarily confusing for them), so a best practice is to simply ask the probate clerk proactively exactly how and where they’d prefer you to submit all forms.

Need help getting in touch with a local probate court or identifying a domicile probate jurisdiction?

👉 Find and Contact your Local Probate Court

👉 What is a Domicile Jurisdiction?

Sponsored by Atticus App

Need help with Massachusetts Probate?

Join all the other families who have trusted Atticus through probate, and experience the peace that comes from knowing you're taking the right steps, spending the least amount of money, and not wasting a single second.

Start for free

Different probate forms or processes can require different deadlines or response times for completing the appropriate form.

While some steps in the process are bound to specific deadlines (like petitioning for probate, having to submit an inventory of assets, or filing applicable notices to creditors and beneficiaries), many probate forms or processes are not tied to a specific deadline since the scope of work can vary based on situational factors or requirements involved.

Either way, there are a bunch of practical reasons why personal representatives should work to complete each step as thoroughly and quickly as possible when completing probate in Massachusetts.

5 reasons you should submit MPC 351 as quickly as possible:

1. The sooner you begin, the faster Massachusetts can allow heirs and beneficiaries to get their share of assets subject to probate. Acting promptly can also decrease the costs & overall mental fatigue through an otherwise burdensome process.
   
   Helpful Context: What’s the Difference Between Probate and Non-Probate Assets?

2. In general, creditors of an estate usually have around 3-6 months from the time you file notice to creditors to file any claims for debt against the deceased’s assets. If they don’t, then that debt is forfeited (and more importantly, the executor won’t be held personally responsible). So doing this sooner means you have a better idea of who is owed what and ensures you won’t get a surprise collector months later.

3. Not filing a will within 30 days (on average) could mean that the probate process proceeds according to intestate laws (laws that govern what happens to someone's stuff without a will) or is subject to unnecessary supervision by the probate court. And if you aren't directly related to the deceased (a.k.a. next of kin), this could also mean you lose your inheritance.

4. It’s important to file any necessary state tax returns on behalf of the deceased or estate by the following tax season in Massachusetts. If you don’t, you could owe penalties and interest. This also includes any necessary federal tax returns such as Forms 1040, 1041, or even a Form 706 estate tax return.

5. If a house in the State of Massachusetts is left empty (or abandoned) for a while, insurance can get dicey. For example, if the house burns down and no one has been there for a year, an insurance company may get out of paying your claim.

If you’re not using Atticus to get specific forms, deadlines, and timelines for Massachusetts probate, then try and stay as organized as possible, pay close attention to the dates mentioned in any correspondence you have with the State’s government officials, call the local Massachusetts probate clerk or court for exact answers regarding Form MPC 351, and when in doubt— consult a qualified trust & estates lawyer for that area.

General Trust Petition For Appointment Of A Guardian Ad Litem is one of the many probate court forms available for download through Atticus.

It may also be available through some Massachusetts probate court sites, such as . In order to access the latest version, be updated with any revisions, and get full instructions on how to complete each form, check out the Atticus Probate & Estate Settlement software or consider hiring a qualified legal expert locally within Massachusetts.

While Atticus automatically provides the latest forms, be sure to choose the correct version of Form MPC 351 - General Trust Petition For Appointment Of A Guardian Ad Litem f using any other site or resource in order to avoid having to re-complete the form process and/or make another trip to the Massachusetts probate court office.

General Trust Petition For Appointment Of A Guardian Ad Litem is a .pdf, so opening it should be as simple as clicking “View Form” from within the Atticus app or by clicking the appropriate link found on any Massachusetts-provided government platform. Once you’ve opened the form, you should be able to directly edit the form before saving or printing.

Here’s the text, verbatim, that is found on Massachusetts Form MPC 351 - General Trust Petition For Appointment Of A Guardian Ad Litem. You can use this to get an idea of the context of the form and what type of information is needed.

MPC 351 (1/16/13) ofpage GENERAL TRUST PETITION FOR APPOINTMENT OF GUARDIAN AD LITEM-TRUST G.L. c. 203E, §§ 305(b) Commonwealth of Massachusetts The Trial Court Probate and Family Court Docket No. case name Division The Petitioner(s) (hereafter Petitioner), an interested person(s), makes the following statements: Petitioner is: 1. (Address) (Apt, Unit, No. etc.) (City/Town) (State)(Zip) First Name Last Name M.I Primary Phone #: Interest of the Petitioner in the matter (e.g. Trustee, other interested person, etc.): Name: The Petitioner seeks the appointment of a Guardian ad Litem 2. from a court approved listORthe following proposed person: (Address) (Apt, Unit, No. etc.) (City/Town) (State)(Zip) Name: First Name Last Name M.I Primary Phone #:BBO number: The proposed Guardian ad Litem has experience to serve, unrelated to any interested person, and has no interest 3. adverse to the interests of the person to be represented. The Guardian ad Litem is to represent the interests of the following:4. (Address) (Apt, Unit, No. etc.) (City/Town) (State)(Zip) Name: First Name Last Name M.I Primary Phone #: The interest to be represented is: a minor whose date of birth is: (date of birth) . a person with a disability (within the meaning of G.L. c. 190B). an unborn person. a person whose identity or address is unknown. a designated class of persons who are not ascertained or not in being. MPC 351 (1/16/13) ofpage The appointment of a Guardian ad Litem is necessary for the following reasons (specify statutory authority and specific reasons for such appointment): 5. Notice of this proceeding: 6. is requested. should be dispensed with for the following reasons (specify reasons): SIGNED UNDER THE PENALTIES OF PERJURY I certify under the penalties of perjury that the foregoing statements are true to the best of my knowledge and belief. Date: Signature of Petitioner (Print name) B.B.O. # Primary Phone #: (Zip)(State)(City/Town) (Address) (Apt, Unit, No. etc.) Information on Attorney for Petitioner, if any Signature of Attorney Email: