Guardianships
When a person becomes unable to handle their own personal or financial affairs due to infirmities of aging, mental illness, developmental delays or other such incapacity. There is a procedure by which another person may be appointed guardian to handle those affairs. A Guardianship proceeding is most often initiated either by a family member or by an adult protective service agency. Additionally, there is often a request for Protective Placement, which is an order by the Court that authorizes a person to be involuntarly placed in a nursing home or other facility. If a person has a Durable Power of Attorney and Healthcare Power of Attorney, a Guardianship process may many times be avoided, but, where a person does not have those documents or for some reason those documents are insufficient for the person's needs, the Guardianship process will provide for the appointment of someone to handle the incompetent person’s affairs. We can assist you with the filing and the process of a Guardianship for a loved one who is in need. We can also assist you with dealing with legal issues including annual accounts of the financial affairs, should you be appointed guardian.
There are also instances where a guardian is appointed for a person under the age of 18. This may happen when the child’s parents are unavailable due to death, disability or incarceration. Also, a third party may be made guardian of a child if a parent is determined to be unfit. We can assist families through this process by filing and working through the steps necessary to grant Guardianship to a third party for a child whose parents are unable to necessary care. Often times, it is the grandparents that assume these responsibilities and we can help work through this process with you.
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