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Vormundschaft (guardianship)

Vormundschaft
Machine translation of the German page, 2026-09-15. The German original is binding.

Book an appointment

Book an appointment (service.berlin.de)

Requirements

• Suitable person / authority / association Who can become a guardian? A suitable person (e.g. a family member or a professional guardian), an authority (for example the Jugendamt, youth welfare office), or an association may be considered as guardian. Parents have the option of naming a guardian for their children in a will. The actual selection, however, is made by the Familiengericht (family court). • With few exceptions, the guardian carries out this role without payment. • Unaccompanied minor refugees www.berlin.de/sen/jugend/jugend/unbegleitete-minderjaehrige- In particular, volunteer guardians are always being sought for minor refugees who entered Germany without their parents.

Documents you need

• Name, date of birth, and place of residence of the child for whom you want to become guardian • Name, date of birth, place of birth, and place of residence of the person who wants to take on the guardianship • Reason why you want to take on the guardianship for the child

Fees

The costs of conducting the guardianship proceedings (Vormundschaftsverfahren) at the Familiengericht (family court) are borne by the child. However, fees are only charged if the ward's assets, after deduction of liabilities, exceed 25,000 euros.

Legal basis

• Bürgerliches Gesetzbuch (BGB, Civil Code) §§ 1778 et seq. www.gesetze-im-internet.de/bgb/BJNR001950896.html#BJNR001950 • Gesetz über das Verfahren in Familiensachen und in den Angelegenheiten der freiwilligen Gerichtsbarkeit (FamFG, Act on Proceedings in Family Matters and in Matters of Non-Contentious Jurisdiction) §§ 151 et seq. www.gesetze-im-internet.de/famfg/__151.html • Gesetz über Gerichtskosten in Familiensachen (FamGKG, Act on Court Costs in Family Matters), Main Section 3 - Advance Payment and Prepayment www.gesetze-im-internet.de/famgkg/BJNR266600008.html#BJNR266

Further information

• Information sheets for Vormünder (guardians) www.berlin.de/gerichte/was-moechten-sie-erledigen/familiensa • Information sheet on the flat-rate expense allowance and liability insurance www.berlin.de/gerichte/was-moechten-sie-erledigen/artikel.13 • Nationwide search for locations and courts www.justizadressen.nrw.de/og.php

Who is responsible

• The Amtsgericht (local court, family court) has subject-matter responsibility for the appointment, support and supervision of the guardian. • Territorial responsibility, while divorce proceedings are pending, lies with the court where the divorce case is or was pending at first instance, provided it concerns joint children of the spouses; otherwise, the court in whose district the child has their habitual residence, or in whose district the need for care becomes known, has responsibility.

Responsible for you

Choose a location; the appointment itself is booked on the original page.

Original

German original

Service number 327817 · same path as the original: service.berlin.de/dienstleistung/327817/