This book will appeal to all who are concerned about becoming a guardian or who are appointed by the courts as guardian of a family member or non-family member vulnerable adults. Whether you are a guardianship lawyer, family member or professional guardians you will benefit from this book, Family and Professional Guardianship.

This book includes overviews of guardianships, applicable statues and laws governing guardianship, guardianship of a minor, guardianship of an incapacitated adult, mental health guardianship and civil commitment, standby guardianship, responsible for the protecting the property of the ward, alternatives to guardianship or conservatorship. Family and Professional guardianship will keep you from being in the fog or caught off guard. It offers solutions that are based on laws and facts and not opinions.

This book will help Guardians make major life decisions for a loved one. The National Center for State Courts estimate that between one to two million adults are under court-supervised guardianship. The Administrative Conference of the United States estimates that 75 percent of guardians are family members or friends. Once guardians are appointed, they receive little instruction on how to fulfill guardianship responsibilities and have few resources to guide them. Family and Professional Guardianship address family problems with guardianship. It will help new guardians and it explains the guardian roles and responsibilities. The Probate court orders establish guardians’ responsibilities to make decisions for a person determined to lack the ability to make their own decisions. Family and Professional Guardianship is an authoritative resource written by an experienced professional guardian with a decade of experience.

Guardianship is poorly understood and is increasingly populated by financially motivated predators. This does not have to be the case. Guardianship should not be secretive. Many issues of guardianship were revealed by the case of pop star Britney Spears and failed Florida professional guardian Rebecca Fierle. It suddenly became clear that those conscripted into the guardianship system may lose all their civil rights under guardian. This book will help you avoid these guardianship traps.

Children are under guardians because their parents have died, abandoned them, or are otherwise unable to provide care. Family and Professional Guardianship provides step-by-step instructions for caring for adults and children that need to obtain legal guardianship. It discusses the use of alternate options to legal guardianship. If you are properly informed, you can help avoid what is often called the legal guardianship swamp and be a force for good.