We hired an attorney. He submitted the paperwork to the court and we are waiting for a guardian ad litem (?) to contact us for a meeting. We had to complete an online course on the responsibilities of being a guardian. In Washington it looks like you can do all the paperwork yourself with no attorney but I wanted to make sure it was done properly.

We have not yet started the process as our son is still 16 but we are getting ready. The paperwork is a long tedious process but doable. If you don't have an attorney or can't afford one or can't find one that will work with you, you may seek the services of a non profit that does this for parents of special needs children/adults. As soon as the child turns 18 this must be done or sooner in some cases. Best to you.