WHEN IS A REFERRAL TO THE OFFICE OF STATE GUARDIAN APPROPRIATE?
Guardianship is appropriate only when a person is unable to manage his/her person or property and consequently is in danger of abuse, victimization or substantial danger to health. If these elements can be proven in court, the person may need a guardian to make decisions for him/her. There must be solid evidence that a person is genuinely unable to manage his/her affairs and that court action is required to remove his/her decision making rights and give them to someone else. A good way to determine whether guardianship is appropriate is to investigate whether a doctor has evaluated the person and found him/her to be unable to manage his/her person or property. In this case, when there is no one else to assume the responsibility of guardianship (when there are no family, friends, relatives, or anyone else interested in serving as a guardian), then a referral to the Office of State Guardian is appropriate. Also, when an impartial or neutral guardian is required, or when the assets of the
