Guardianship is a court supervised process by which a person is made legally responsible for another.
A guardian is appointed when either an adult person becomes legally incapacitated and cannot take care of his or affairs or if the person is a minor child.
A guardian can be appointed to take charge of the estate of another and this typically means that the guardian is responsible for the business and financial affairs of a person. Or a guardian may be appointed to take charge of the person in which case the guardian will have the power to make decisions over the person's medical affairs and treatment.
The guardian is appointed by the court and must file periodic reports and plans with the court.
Close family members are given notice of guardianship proceedings.
Guardianship files are not public records, so the only information that can be divulged is to close family members.
A guardianship can be tailored to the needs of the person needing help.
A conservator is appointed by a court if the person is competent but needs help in handling his or her affairs.
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