What happens to a persons legal rights when a guardian is appointed?
When a court determines that a person is incapacitated and appoints a guardian, the court authorizes the guardian to make certain decisions for the incapacitated person. The incapacitated person may no longer make those decisions. If the guardianship is a full guardianship, the incapacitated person loses the right to make most decisions adults normally make for themselves. For example, the incapacitated person will no longer be able to manage his or her own financial affairs or to make independent decisions about medical treatment. If the guardianship is a limited one, the court order will say what decisions, are to be made by the guardian and what decisions are to be made by the incapacitated person. For example, a limited guardianship order might say that financial decisions are to be made by the guardian, but health care decisions are to be made by the incapacitated person. Even if a court order says that a guardian is to make health care decisions, the guardian is not simply free t
