A ward of the court is a person placed under a court’s protection or supervision. The term often refers to a child. Its precise meaning depends on the type of case: a child under a legal guardianship and a child under juvenile court supervision may both be called wards, but for different reasons.

In California Family Law

It helps to distinguish three situations:

• Guardianship: A court appoints a guardian to care for a child, manage the child’s property, or both. The child is called the ward. For example, a grandparent appointed as a child’s legal guardian cares for the child under the court’s supervision.
• Juvenile wardship: A juvenile court may declare a young person a ward after finding that the person violated a criminal law, as provided in Welfare and Institutions Code section 602. Wardship is not limited to criminal violations, and the court’s orders depend on the case.
• Dependency: A child who needs court protection because of abuse or neglect is generally called a dependent of the court. Dependency and wardship are different legal statuses.

A child does not become a ward simply because the parents have a divorce or custody case. The specific court order determines the child’s status and who has authority to make decisions for the child.