In this Elder Law Minute, Kaye Dent explains the responsibilities and long-term commitment involved in becoming a legal guardian.
Video Transcription:
Hi, I’m Kaye DeSelms Dent with Dent Coulson Elder Law, here with an Elder Law Minute for you. These videos are intended to educate you about the elder care journey, which begins earlier in life than you might think. We hope that you find them useful, and if you have further questions, please call us at Dent Coulson Elder Law.
At Dent Coulson Elder Law, we do assist many people in obtaining guardianships of their loved ones. Sometimes this is for a child who’s disabled and turning 18, and oftentimes it’s for a parent or spouse who has become disabled over time—often due to dementia.
It’s important to understand that a guardianship proceeding is a long-term commitment. Once you become a person’s guardian, you are responsible for reporting to the court, usually every year, on the person’s finances if you are guardian of the estate. You’ll need to account for every penny you spend, and you have to spend the money for their best interest—and often for their care.
If you’re guardian of the person, you need to report to the court about the ward—that’s the person over whom you’re guardian—about their well-being, if there have been any changes in their circumstances, in their health, where they live, whether they’re in a residential placement or not.
The important thing to remember is that, with so many legal relationships—whether you’re someone’s agent under power of attorney, you’re entering into a marriage, you’re becoming their guardian, you’re acting as a trustee, or you’re an executor in a will—there’s often more to it than you might think.
And that’s where we come in.
At Dent Coulson Elder Law, we’re happy to guide you through the process and assist you in understanding your role as what the law calls a fiduciary.
Give us a call today. Thank you.
Contact Us for Assistance
Thank you for watching our Elder Law Minute. If you need help with powers of attorney or any other estate planning needs, please call Dent Coulson Elder Law.
Also looking for information about Medicaid and Asset Preservation? Visit these articles:
“Your Trusted Advisor on the Elder Care Journey”
Dent-Coulson Elder Law is dedicated to providing families in the St. Louis area with their Elder Law needs. Our practice areas include Asset Preservation Planning, Veterans Benefits, Medicaid Eligibility, Alzheimer’s Planning, Special Needs Planning, Estate Planning and more. We understand the financial challenges you may face as you and your loved ones grow older. At Dent-Coulson Elder Law, our clients’ well-being is our number one priority. For immediate help, call (618) 632-7000 (IL) or (314) 567-9292 (MO), or Contact Us and we will get in touch as soon as possible.
