People sometimes hear news about senior citizens being scammed out of their savings by unscrupulous individuals. There’s another side to this, however. Sometimes seniors with dementia begin making unusual donations and gifts of money, even when nobody is persuading them to spend it. In the meantime, they may be ignoring household bills. An immediate relative may want to establish legal Guardianship in Hollywood, FL, to protect a person behaving this way.
The process begins with filing a petition in court. Generally, requesting Guardianship in Hollywood, FL, is done with the help of a lawyer. Hiring an attorney is essential if the older relative contests the petition. Verification of the cognitive disability by a physician, along with evidence of the person’s serious problematic behavior, will be considered by a judge.
Once the petition has been approved, the guardian now can make decisions for the disabled relative, legally known as the ward. As with power of attorney, the guardian can pay all the bills from the ward’s bank accounts. This arrangement is much broader, though. For example, if the relative eventually should move to a memory care community for safety reasons, the guardian has the authority to decide.
The court reviews the status at least once a year. The guardian must complete a form and a court investigator visits the ward. If no questionable activity is found, the arrangement is renewed after each review.
Anyone thinking of petitioning for this kind of protective supervision may consult the lawyer with contact details at their website.
