A. The court shall appoint as guardian a person whose appointment would be in the best interests of the minor. The court may appoint a person nominated by the minor, if the minor is fourteen years of age or older, unless the court finds the appointment contrary to the best interests of the minor.

Terms Used In Arizona Laws 14-5206

  • Court: means the superior court. See Arizona Laws 14-1201
  • Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
  • Guardian: means a person who has qualified as a guardian of a minor or incapacitated person pursuant to testamentary or court appointment but excludes a person who is merely a guardian ad litem. See Arizona Laws 14-1201
  • Minor: means a person who is under eighteen years of age. See Arizona Laws 14-1201
  • Person: means an individual or an organization. See Arizona Laws 14-1201

B. Before the court may appoint as guardian a person unrelated to the minor, the court shall, in order to determine the applicant’s suitability as a guardian, require the potential guardian to furnish a full set of fingerprints to the court to enable a criminal background investigation to be conducted. The court shall submit the completed fingerprint card with the fee prescribed in section 41-1750 to the department of public safety. The applicant shall bear the cost of obtaining the criminal background information. The cost shall not exceed the actual cost of obtaining the applicant’s criminal background information. The department of public safety shall conduct criminal history records checks pursuant to section 41-1750 and applicable federal law. The department of public safety is authorized to submit fingerprint card information to the federal bureau of investigation for a national criminal history records check.