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Guardianships

Guardianships

Guardianship Tracking System

Pennsylvania ranks 4th in the nation for the highest population percentage of elders over age 65.  As the Commonwealth’s older adult population continued to grow, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court created the Elder Law Task Force in 2014 to explore ways to strengthen protections for older adults.

To carry out those recommendations, the Court established the Advisory Council on Elder Justice in the Courts. One of the key outcomes of this effort was the creation of the Guardianship Tracking System (GTS), a statewide tool designed to oversee guardianship cases and enhance the safety and well‑being of adults who rely on guardians.

GTS improves accountability, supports guardians in meeting their responsibilities, and streamlines required filings by allowing reports to be submitted online. The system was developed to benefit everyone involved in guardianship: incapacitated individuals, guardians, and the courts.

About the Guardianship Tracking System

  1. The Guardianship Tracking System is a secure, statewide electronic filing platform that centralizes guardianship information and simplifies the submission of mandated reports such as inventories and annual reports.

  2. GTS is used by family guardians, professional guardians, judges, court staff, Orphans’ Court clerks, and others who are part of the guardianship process.

  3. By giving courts quicker access to filing information, GTS helps identify potential concerns or red flags promptly, improving oversight and protection for adults under guardianship.

  4. The system provides several advantages for guardians:
    • Online filing of inventories and annual reports at any time
    • Automatic reminders for upcoming deadlines and notices for overdue filings
    • Built‑in calculations that help prevent math errors

  5. Because GTS combines guardian information into one statewide database rather than separate county systems, it:
    • Supports statewide reporting and analysis that can guide policy and improve protections
    • Helps prevent unsuitable guardians from relocating to a new county without record of past issues

  6. All counties in Pennsylvania adopted and began using the system by the end of 2018.


Guardianship-Incapacitation

A petition for guardianship of an alleged incapacitated adult is filed in the Orphans’ Court. After filing, the Court assigns a hearing date and issues a citation. If the petition is granted, a judge signs a final decree appointing a guardian, and the decree is entered into the court record. The appointed guardian is then responsible for filing an Inventory and Annual Reports in the Orphans’ Court through the Guardianship Tracking System (GTS).

Effective September 11, 2018, the Clerk of Courts Office began using the Guardianship Tracking System (GTS), which was implemented statewide by the Administrative Office of Pennsylvania Courts at the direction of the Pennsylvania Supreme Court.

Workshops are available to assist court‑appointed guardians in learning how to use GTS. This system allows guardians of incapacitated adults to file inventories and annual reports online from any computer with internet access. GTS became available in all Pennsylvania counties on December 31, 2018.

The original petition must be filed in the Clerk of Courts Office along with the required filing fee. Once filed, the Clerk of Courts will assign a docket number and forward the petition to the Orphans’ Court Judge.

An Order of Court will then be issued and filed in the Clerk of Courts Office. The Order will direct that a Citation be issued, and a copy will be sent to the petitioner for service.

Hearing dates and times will be scheduled by the Court.

Guardianship - Minors

A guardian must be appointed by the Court when a minor receives money or property, ensuring the proper management of the minor’s estate. To begin the process, a petition for guardianship of a minor is filed in the Orphans’ Court along with the required filing fee. E‑filing is strongly encouraged. After filing, the Court will assign a hearing date. If the petition is approved, a judge will issue a final decree appointing a guardian for the minor.

We are pleased to offer electronic filing as a convenient alternative to submitting original documents at the Clerk of Courts office. For optimal performance, we recommend using Google Chrome as your browser.
Please note that the following types of legal documents cannot be filed using our e-filing system:

  1. Petitions, exhibits, or related filings under Title 23, Part III (Termination and Adoption)
  2. Motion for Authorization of an Abortion
  3. Petitions to Disinter
To begin the e-filing process, please click on the appropriate link below:

Forms