Who Has Guardianship Over the Child in Jordan?

The Jordanian Personal Status Law specifies the holder of guardianship over the child in Article 223: the minor's guardian is his father, then the father's appointed trustee, then the true grandfather (the father's father), then the grandfather's trustee, then the court or the trustee the court appoints.

The father is the natural guardian by law, with the right to oversee the child's affairs, upbringing, and education under Article 184. If the father is absent, dies, or his guardianship lapses, guardianship passes to the next in this order — not automatically to any relative.

Note that guardianship over the minor here differs from the marriage guardian in Article 14, who is determined by the order of agnates; each has its own rules. The mother is, in principle, a custodian and not a guardian, and she may be appointed trustee if the conditions of Article 231 are met.

Assessing who holds guardianship over the child remains within the Sharia Court's competence on the facts of each case.

This is a general explanation based on Jordanian Personal Status Law and does not replace advice from a qualified lawyer in a specific dispute.