When accompanying a loved one under guardianship, the question of salary does not arise immediately. It comes later, after months of managing accounts, meetings with the notary, and correspondence with the guardianship judge. The family guardian then discovers that their remuneration does not function like a traditional salary, and that the professional guardian follows a scale that has not changed in years.
Compensation for the family guardian: what the guardianship judge really grants
In the majority of cases, the family guardian performs their duties free of charge. The civil code provides for compensation, but it does not come automatically. It must be requested from the guardianship judge, who grants it based on the complexity of asset management and the actual burdens incurred.
Specifically, we are talking about a fixed or proportional compensation based on the income of the protected person, not a fixed monthly salary. If the estate of the protected adult is modest, the compensation may be limited to reimbursement of expenses (travel, registered mail, photocopies).
To better understand the monthly salary of a guardian in France, it is necessary to distinguish this family compensation from the remuneration of professional representatives, whose mechanism is entirely different.
The judge can also refuse any compensation if they believe that the management remains simple (one bank account, no real estate assets). Feedback varies on this point: some courts are more generous than others depending on the resources of the protected person.
Remuneration of the professional judicial representative: a frozen scale despite inflation
The judicial representative for the protection of adults (MJPM) receives a remuneration governed by a regulatory scale. This scale is based on a rate applied to the annual income of the protected person, with decreasing brackets.
The problem, publicly reported by professionals in the sector, is that this scale has been frozen for over ten years. Operating costs (travel, energy, office rent) have increased with recent inflation, but the remuneration grid has not followed suit.
In practice, this means that an independent representative managing cases of people with modest incomes finds themselves with a monthly remuneration significantly below what is suggested by the averages published on job sites. The actual amount depends entirely on the profile of the protected individuals in their portfolio.
What this remuneration covers (and does not cover)
The remuneration of the professional representative is supposed to cover the entire mission: account management, administrative follow-up, relations with the guardianship judge, home or facility visits. No additional payment is provided for particularly heavy cases (family disputes, complex assets).
- The ongoing management of the protected person’s budget (payment of bills, banking follow-up, tax declarations)
- Administrative and judicial procedures (reports to the judge, renewal of the protection measure)
- Regular visits to the home or facility to assess the situation of the protected adult
- Coordination with health professionals, social services, and family
The representative does not charge for these services on a per-action basis. Everything is included in the annual rate, which explains the economic tension when the number of cases per professional increases without revaluation.
Management account control: a new income aspect in 2024
The decree of July 4, 2024, introduced a national pricing for the remuneration of the qualified professional responsible for managing account control. This control, previously financially unregulated, concerns accounts managed by both family guardians and judicial representatives.
The scale depends on the number of cases controlled and the complexity of the files. The average remuneration is around a hundred euros excluding tax per case, according to indications from the Ministry of Justice. It is the protected person who pays, unless their resources are less than or equal to the amount of the RSA and their available financial assets do not exceed 35,000 euros.
Exemption for protected individuals with modest incomes
The conditions for exemption are cumulative:
- Resources from the previous year less than or equal to the amount of the RSA
- Mobilizable financial assets (current account, savings account, LDDS, LEP) less than or equal to 35,000 euros
If these two criteria are met, the protected person is exempt from the cost of the control. The guardianship judge generally ensures that cases are distributed among qualified professionals to balance remuneration levels.
Corporate or training tutor: a supplement, not a salary
The guardian in the context of adult protection is often confused with the corporate tutor, who is responsible for supporting an apprentice or intern. The latter generally does not receive any specific remuneration for this mission. The role of tutor is added to their usual position.
Some collective agreements provide for a bonus or supplement, but this is far from systematic. The amount, when it exists, remains modest and varies according to the sector of activity and the size of the company.
For the school or university tutor (academic support, peer tutoring), remuneration takes the form of an hourly rate, often at or slightly above the minimum wage. This is not a stable monthly salary, but a supplementary income linked to the number of hours worked.
The landscape of tutor remuneration in France remains fragmented among very different statuses. Whether discussing judicial protection, corporate support, or academic assistance, the common point is a financial recognition that struggles to reflect the actual burden of the mission. The freezing of scales for professional representatives and the frequent absence of bonuses for corporate tutors illustrate a similar gap between responsibility and compensation.