Q: A guardian can be a grandparent or other relative, or a friend or appointee of the state, who is interested in caring for the child while the parents are unable or unwilling to do so. It is not the same as a full adoption. Adoption legally erases any rights of the birth parents and declares the adopting parents to take on those rights. Guardianship just establishes custody, and leaves the birth parents an avenue to reestablish custody. The forms you need as well as interactive instructions for completing and filing the forms, are provided online. Following the instructions included with your forms, type or print neatly in blue or black ink, filling in each numbered item as necessary. California family court services can provide assistance. Just check with your local county court or online at the California court website. You county facilitator can look at forms to make sure that you have filled everything out correctly. You can find your family law facilitator by following the link for your county from the California Court's Family Law Facilitators List. You need to make a copy for yourself as well as both parents and any other relatives or agencies who are concerned with the child. The original will be filed with the court. The court will stamp the papers as "filed," keeping the original and returning the copies to you. Once the forms are filed, the court has approved the order and it is legally in motion. Serve the copies of the papers to the relatives and agencies who previously were caring for the child. To insure that everyone is fully aware that you have taken custody, the papers must be legally served by someone unconnected to the case, who is 18 years or older, to every concerned party. The server must fill out a "proof of service" form and return this to you. You will need one for each person you are giving notice to, or "serving" the forms to. After the papers have been served, the court needs to be notified that everyone involved in the case is aware of the petition. If the server gave the papers to the concerned parties in person, he or she will fill out the Proof of Personal Service form. If the server sent the papers by mail, they will fill out a different form, the Proof of Service by Mail form. Both of these are attached to Notice of Hearing--Guardianship or Conservatorship. You will be granted a hearing at which interested parties will have the opportunity to make statements regarding the motion. There may be an investigation or interview before the official hearing. Arrive on time, answer any questions clearly and politely, and do your best to make a good impression. The judge will then decide whether to grant your petition. If you are granted custody, you need to file the Order Appointing Guardianship of the Child with your county clerk. This confirms that the decision of the judge was what you were seeking and tells the city what has happened. If you do not file the official order it has not been certified. If your petition is granted and certified, you will need to follow up with yearly reports to the court on the status of the child and your guardianship.
A: Decide to seek custody as a non-parent. Fill out a Petition for Appointment of Guardianship form. Have your forms reviewed. Make copies of your forms. File the forms with your county clerk. Give notice to all parties. File Proof of Service forms with your county. Attend your hearing. File your court order.

Q: Bringing other drivers into the mix may be a stressor for both of you, but if you and your teen have been practicing in a parking lot, you will be well-prepared. However, more people on the road means more things to be aware of. Review right of way laws with your teen. These may vary depending on where you live. Now more than ever, emphasize that signaling is important. After your teen has the hang of driving on fairly quiet roads, take them to a busier location to handle more drivers. If possible, practice in a place your teen is already familiar with. Remind your teen that city driving requires not only patience for a lot of starting and stopping, but heightened awareness for pedestrians. Plan a route through the city with your teen in advance. This will be less stressful than being surprised by an "obstacle course." Highway driving is really fast, so it might feel intimidating for your child. The good news is that it's usually a straight shot and there are no pedestrians or bikers to worry about. Acceleration and deceleration lanes can be stressful. Emphasize the importance of smoothly increasing and decreasing speed. Remind your teen that cars on the highway should be more widely spaced than they should be on a regular street. Tell them to try the three-second rule: start counting when the car in front of them passes a certain landmark (like a road sign). They should pass the sign three seconds after the car in front of them. Once your teen feels safe driving in different situations, take them out to drive in rain, snow, and the dark. In many places, drivers are obligated to turn on their headlights if there is rain heavy enough to necessitate windshield wipers. Even if this isn't legally required in your area, it's good sense. Rain, ice, and snow can cause skidding. Make sure your teen knows to turn the wheel in the direction of a skid, no matter how counterintuitive this may sound! Several times a week is ideal. Driving depends partly on muscle memory, like playing a sport. Even if your teen has been performing splendidly while you drive together, they have to keep reinforcing what they've learned until it sticks. Safety concerns are important, but as they prepare to take the test, family boundaries are too. If all goes well, you'll have another licensed driver in the house soon; it's important to figure out how what areas your teen can be independent in, and which areas still need guidance. How will car-sharing work? Do you plan to buy your child a new car? Will you share the family car? Will your teen have a curfew if they're out driving? (Note: in many states, drivers with provisional licenses already have a curfew in place.) Will you limit the number of friends in the car? Are there certain places your teen will not be permitted to drive? Consider making a written contract for your family's specific rules. There are templates available online. Here's one from the Car Talk hosts.
A:
Start on easy roads. Try city driving. Drive on the highway. Become familiar with extreme conditions. Practice as often as you can. Before your teen gets their license, discuss driving rules.