If you need reasons why you should plan in advance to avoid guardianship, here are six.
- You might end up with a stranger in charge of you. Ohio law does not require the appointment of a family member or friend as your guardian.
- Seeking guardianship is public, not private. Your loss of capacity will be a matter of public record.
- Guardianship is expensive. It can cost thousands of dollars in legal fees to establish a guardianship and thousands each year thereafter.
- Guardianship is not a fast process. It may take months for the Court to make the appointment.
- The Court is the superior guardian. The person or entity appointed as your individual guardian must seek Court permission to do anything. This means annual budgeting, reporting, and ongoing administrative expenses, as well as legal fees and filing fees.
- Guardianship is often indefinite and terminates at death.
By signing powers of attorney, you remain in control.
- You choose your legal agent and that person is usually a loved one.
- Your health and your finances remain private.
- You limit your legal fees.
- Your agent can act immediately on your behalf.
- No Court supervision is required.
- You retain the right to revoke the documents at any time.
Don’t be the next Britney or topic of a 2020 movie hit. Call your attorney at Carlile Patchen & Murphy LLP today to discuss and sign powers of attorney.
I was never informed that my mother was the Guardian Ad Litem of my estate, left to me by my great Grand Father, Jose Epifanio Dominguez, my mother upon her death bed told me and provided documents, that my sister’s portion and my portion was assigned to an attorney here in Ca, to cover up a wrongful death suit brought against my Mother’s boy friend, I have had business and filed taxes since I was 18