Kentucky Revised Statutes

Ky. Rev. Stat. § 387.740 (2026)

Emergency powers of court -- Petition and hearing on emergency

✓ current as of May 2026

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appointment. (1) The court may exercise the powers of a limited guardian or limited conservator or may appoint an individual or agency to exercise such powers before or during the pendency of a proceeding for a determination of partial disability or disability or an appeal therefrom, if it appears that there is danger of serious impairment to the health or safety of the respondent or damage or dissipation to his property if immediate action is not taken. (2) Prior to a hearing on the need for an emergency appointment of a limited guardian or limited conservator, a petition shall be filed by any person or entity which sets forth the following: (a) The name, age, and address of the respondent; (b) The danger alleged to be imminent; (c) The type of appointment and the protection and assistance requested; (d) The facts and reasons supporting the request; (e) The name, address, and qualifications of the proposed limited guardian or limited conservator, if any; (f) The name, address, and interest of the petitioner; (g) The names and addresses of the respondent's next of kin, if known; (h) The name and address of the individual or facility, if any, having custody of the respondent; and (i) The date of filing of the petition for determination of disability or partial disability. (3) (a) The court shall review any and all petitions for an emergency appointment of a limited guardian or limited conservator without delay and not more than one (1) week after the petition is filed. The circuit clerk in the county in which the petition is filed shall accept all petitions and the Commonwealth shall not exclude any petition filed under this section from presentation to the court. Within one (1) week of the filing of a petition pursuant to this section, the court shall conduct a hearing at which the respondent shall be entitled to counsel. (b) Notice of the time and place of the hearing shall be given not less than forty-eight (48) hours prior to the hearing to all persons named in the petition, the petitioner, and the Commonwealth unless waived in writing or on the record. (4) The Commonwealth shall present evidence at the hearing. The petitioner shall have the right to present evidence in support of the petition at the hearing in addition to any evidence presented by the Commonwealth, and shall have the right to cross-examine witnesses. (5) The burden shall be on the Commonwealth and the petitioner to prove by clear and convincing evidence the need for the emergency appointment of a limited guardian or conservator. (6) If the court exercises the powers of a limited guardian or limited conservator or appoints another to do so in an emergency situation as set forth in subsection (1) of this section, the court shall state on the record findings of fact as to the danger determined to be imminent, the sources relied on in arriving at such determination, the type of assistance to be provided, and the powers and duties of the emergency guardian or conservator. The authority of the guardian or conservator shall expire upon resolution of the appeal or action. Effective:April 8, 2022 History: Amended 2022 Ky. Acts ch. 182, sec. 3, effective April 8, 2022. -- Created 1982 Ky. Acts ch. 141, sec. 25, effective July 1, 1982. Legislative Research Commission Note (4/8/2022). 2022 Ky. Acts ch. 182, sec. 5, provides that this statute, as amended in that Act, may be cited as the Jeff Tyler Act.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 4 cases (1 in the last 5 years), 1984–2023 · leading case: Commonwealth v. Cabinet for Human Resources, 686 S.W.2d 465 (Ky. Ct. App. 1984).

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Commonwealth v. Cabinet for Human Resources, 686 S.W.2d 465 (Ky. Ct. App. 1984). “The Court notes in passing that KRS 387.740 raises the possibility that the Court itself might exercise the powers of a limited guardian or limited conservator.”

Sanders v. City of Pembroke (W.D. Ky. 2020). · cites it 10× “In response, Plaintiffs acknowledge that under KRS § 387.740, the clerk of court is responsible for issuing the summons.”

Colin Mulhall, as of the Est. of Carol Mulhall v. Sunrise Senior Living Mgmt., Inc. (Ky. Ct. App. 2023). · cites it 2× “KRS 387.740 sets out the process for seeking emergency guardianship, which requires a review not more than one week after a petition is filed.”

Sanders v. City of Pembroke (W.D. Ky. 2020). · cites it 2× “Ky. Rev. Stat. Ann. § 387.740 . Therefore, the state court, not the CHFS Defendants, was responsible for making the ultimate determination as to whether Mr.”

— Ky. Rev. Stat. § 387.740(3) — 2 cases

Sanders v. City of Pembroke (W.D. Ky. 2020). “In response, Plaintiffs acknowledge that under KRS § 387.740, the clerk of court is responsible for issuing the summons.”

Colin Mulhall, as of the Est. of Carol Mulhall v. Sunrise Senior Living Mgmt., Inc. (Ky. Ct. App. 2023). “KRS 387.740 sets out the process for seeking emergency guardianship, which requires a review not more than one week after a petition is filed.”

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