2026 state court fee data · New York

Guardianship in New York

Recorded at $300–$450 - mid-pack among the civil filings in New York, and one of 10 states where we price this filing.

Filing steps ↓ About this data

Fee rank is not wait rank

Signature reading for Guardianship in New York: 6 steps on published procedural depth for this filing. On this filing's state cohort, New York sits in the upper third of recorded max fees ($300–$450). New York records a short end of the waiting-period distribution for this filing (45 days). The published step list sits near the 6-step median for this filing (6 steps). According to PlainCivil's compiled state court fee schedules, Guardianship in New York ranks #18 of 120 process-state filings by maximum filing fee (highest max fee = #1). Florida lists the highest guardianship filing-fee ceiling at $500 among 10 states for this filing and also the recorded wait (60 days). Wait rank is still a separate board: Illinois records 60 days on a $400 ceiling.

Guardianship figures for New York are compiled schedule reference, not legal advice - verify with the clerk where you intend to file.

In-state wait inventory

Waiting periods among New York civil filings

Exclusive split of all 12 tracked filings in New York - orthogonal to in-state fee placement below.

Compare a state record

Compare guardianship with another state

Start with New York, then inspect another published court-schedule record without leaving this page.

Focus the comparison by published maximum fee

This only narrows the same court-schedule records; it does not estimate a total filing cost.

In-state placement

Where guardianship sits among New York filings

Of the 12 civil filings we track in New York, guardianship ranks 5 by recorded maximum fee: mid-pack among the civil filings in New York. Neighbours: Property Dispute at $500 and Court Mediation at $400.

Same-state corpus only, not a national ranking. How we place filings

10 of 10 states publishing a waiting-period field for this filing impose one; New York records 45 days.

The New York row lists 6 procedural steps against a 6-step median for this filing: a reading of published detail, not difficulty.

Filing Fee Details

Surrogate Court fees $300-$450. Attorney fees typical in contested cases.

New York's high-band fee among states

New York sits in the upper third of this filing's state cohort at $300–$450 (rank #3 of 10 by max fee).

Source: state court filing-fee schedules (upper-bound fee per state). Verify current amounts with the relevant court. How we calculate this ranking →

Key Requirements

  • Petition in Surrogate Court
  • Medical evaluation
  • Background check
  • Court hearing
  • Letters of Guardianship issued

Step-by-Step Process

  1. 1

    File Petition in Surrogate Court

  2. 2

    Medical evaluation of ward

  3. 3

    Background check

  4. 4

    Notice to relatives

  5. 5

    Hearing

  6. 6

    Letters of Guardianship issued

Grounds / Eligibility

Minor (under 18) with no parents, or adult with incapacity

Quick Reference

Fee stamp
STANDARD schedule band
Wait stamp
MID clock band
Filing Fee
$300–$450
Residency
Ward must reside in New York
Waiting Period
45 days
Typical Timeline
2-4 months

Official Resources

New York Court Website

Nearest fee-schedule peers in New York

Ordered by ABS(filing_fee_max) to this row's STANDARD stamp - not an A-Z process catalog.

Civil Lawsuit
HEAVY
$210–$500
18-48 months
Court Mediation
STANDARD
$0–$400
1-3 sessions
Divorce
STANDARD
$335–$400
Uncontested: 3-6 months. Contested: 1-3 years.
Eviction
HEAVY
$45–$500
NYC: 3-12 months due to backlog. Upstate: 1-3 months.
Property Dispute
HEAVY
$210–$500
1-3 years
Name Change
CLERK
$65–$210
3-6 months

Take this with you

What to do with guardianship in New York's numbers, next.

Filing fees and requirements change; verify current figures with your local court before filing.

According to published New York court materials compiled in the PlainCivil state-process database. See our methodology for source categories and vintage. Schedule row for Guardianship in New York: max fee $300–$450, wait 45 days, vintage 2026-09-01.