Guardianship of Person & Estate
Attorneys, social workers, medical providers and those in related fields are occasionally confronted with situations where petitioning for guardianship becomes necessary. In cases where no family member is able to serve as guardian, the Office of Public Guardian may be able to assist by serving as guardian of person or estate or both person and estate. Our guardianship services are tailored to the individual needs of individuals and may include the following:
Guardianship of Person
- Ensuring the adequate care, comfort and maintenance of individuals including housing, food, clothing and other necessities;
- Arranging for adequate training, education and/or rehabilitation for individuals;
- Providing informed consent for medical care, counseling and treatment;
- Maintenance of thorough records regarding each individual;
- Seven days a week round the clock availability in case of emergency through an on-call system.
Guardianship of Estate
- Overseeing and protecting all real and personal property and taking possession of all income and benefits of individuals;
- Making and filing an inventory of the individual’s estate;
- Monitoring estates to ensure that benefit eligibility is maintained;
- Monitoring estates to ensure that the individual’s needs can be met within their budget constraints and that expenses are paid to proper payees in timely manner;
- Monitoring medical bills to ensure that all medical insurance has been billed before the individual makes any payments;
- Protecting and maximizing the estates of individuals and assuring their resources are used for their support, care and education;
- Where individuals have significant assets, OPG contracts with investment firms to assist in maximizing individuals’ assets through prudent investments.