GUARDIANSHIP
Guardianship is where the courts are petitioned to make a judgment of an individual’s competency in order to protect that individual’s finances or person. Guardianship may be necessary if a parent or loved one never carried out a durable power of attorney and an advance directive, and deteriorates to the point where they are unable to carry out a durable power of attorney or advance directive.
There are two types of guardianship: guardian of the person and guardian of the property. Petitioning for guardianship does have drawbacks. It can be costly and time-consuming. In order to petition for guardianship, you need to have a two physicians certify that the individual “lacks capacity” to make financial and/or personal decisions. An attorney needs to be hired to file the petition and follow the guardianship process.
For more information on guardianship, please call the Harford County Office on Aging or the Legal Aid Senior Legal Hotline at 1-800-999-8904.
|
