Jennifer L. v. Marjorie L.

Seven years after appellant Marjorie L. (the guardian or Marjorie) was appointed guardian of her two granddaughters, A.L. and E.L. (the minors), the trial court granted a petition to terminate the guardianship filed by the minors’ parents, respondents Jennifer L. and Richard L., Jr. (the parents, or Jennifer and Richard), following a minutes-long hearing in which no evidence was introduced, no witness testimony was taken, and no arguments from counsel were heard. Such a truncated process deprived the guardian of any meaningful hearing or opportunity to object to the petition, and prevented the court from fully considering whether termination was in the best interests of the minors — the paramount concern in cases of this nature. We therefore reverse the order terminating the guardianship and remand for an evidentiary hearing before a different judge to consider whether termination is in the minors’ best interests. We express no opinion on the merits of the petition itself.

Facts and Proceedings

A. Family History

The parents have had a tumultuous relationship fraught with drug abuse, domestic violence, financial hardship, and criminal convictions. They began dating…