A guardianship is a special form of legal representation for children and young people. If you want to have paternity established or claim maintenance, the youth welfare office can legally represent the child in the relevant proceedings and thus relieve you. If you no longer need the guardianship, you can terminate the guardianship in full or in part at the local youth welfare office.

The guardianship ends automatically if the legal requirements are no longer met. This is the case, for example, if

• both parents have assumed joint custody and the child lives in the same household,
• the child has reached the age of majority
• you move abroad with the child, or
• the guardianship has fulfilled its purpose, for example, if paternity has been established.