Appointing a suitable and willing guardian requires diligence on the part of the court. Consider both risk factors and necessary qualifications for a potential guardian or conservator.
Prevent abuse by identifying which factors are present that may increase the likelihood of abuse associated with a potential guardian or conservator.
Further inquiry should be prompted when risk factors such as these are present:
- Mental health issues
- Substance abuse disorders
- Poor coping skills
Evaluation method: criminal background checks, testimony
- Financial difficulties
- Financial dependence on the ward
Evaluation method: credit report
- History of family conflict
- Poor family relations
Evaluation method: criminal background checks, testimony
Consider this risk assessment form (Appendix D) developed by the Arizona Judicial Council.
Background checks and bond requirements are becoming increasingly standard practices when determining the qualifications of potential guardians and conservators.
Potentially disqualifying circumstances include:
- Difficulty paying bills on time
- Poor money management skills
- A predisposition toward abusive or threatening conduct
- Anger management problems
- Felony convictions
- Substance use disorder
- Poor family relations
- Poor decision-making skills
- Questionable honesty
- Suspension from relevant professional licensing
Background checks
The National Probate Court Standards advise courts to request national background checks on all prospective guardians and conservators—with the exception of those who have already undergone checks part of a certification or licensing procedure, public guardians and financial institutions (Standard 3.3.12). The background checks should be completed before an appointment is made to determine whether the prospective guardian or conservator has been:
- Convicted of a relevant crime;
- Determined to have committed abuse, abandonment, neglect, or financial or sexual exploitation of a child, spouse, or other adult;
- Suspended or disbarred from law, accounting, or other professional licensing for misconduct involving financial or other fiduciary matters, or
- Documented with a poor credit history.
According to the AARP Public Policy Institute, only 13 states require that guardians undergo independent criminal background checks before being appointed. Given the authority of guardians and conservators and the potential for abuse and exploitation of protected persons, criminal histories and credit checks are considered appropriate safeguards. The National Probate Court Standards recommend that when courts do receive potentially disqualifying information, they weigh the seriousness and recentness of the offense or misconduct, its relevance to the case, the nominee's most recent record and the vulnerability of the respondent. The background information can also be used to require periodic post-appointment criminal history and credit checks of a guardian or conservator where there is some concern.
Resources
- National Probate Court Standards
- Guardian Standards and Recommendations for Action
- Safe at Home? (AARP Public Policy Institute)
The National Probate Court Standards recommend a credit check in addition to a thorough criminal history. Credit checks are used to look for indicators of:
- Difficulty paying bills on time
- Poor money management skills
- Financial dependence on the ward
Require conservator to file corporate surety bond prior to issuing letters of appointment
Generally, bonds are required to protect the assets of a protected person when placed under a conservatorship. The requirement of bonds for guardians and conservators is considered standard practice for courts, but a point of contention for prospective family guardians and conservators who may have difficulties qualifying for a bond or may see it as an unnecessary expense. Nevertheless, the Guardian Standards and Recommendations for Action (Standard #4.9) state that
"...the conservator shall take all steps necessary to obtain a bond to protect the estate, including obtaining a court order."
The National Probate Court Standards urge probate courts to require all conservators to be bonded for an amount commensurate with the size of the estate, except in unusual circumstances (Standard 3.3.15). If there is misfeasance or malfeasance that diminishes the respondent's estate, a bond will restore the principal, thus protecting the vulnerable person's assets. In determining whether to require a bond, the amount of bond, or whether an alternative measure will provide sufficient protection, the Standards recommend probate courts to consider the following factors:
- Value of the estate and annual gross income and other receipts
- Extent to which the estate has been deposited under an effective arrangement requiring a court order for its removal
- Whether a court order is required for the sale of real estate
- Whether a restricted account has been established and proof provided to the court that the restrictions will be enforced by the bank
- Frequency of the conservator's required reporting
- Extent to which the income or receipts are payable to a facility responsible for the ward's care and custody
- Extent to which the income and receipts are derived from state or federal programs that impose their own accounting requirements
- Whether the conservator was appointed pursuant to a nomination that requested that bond be waived
- Financial responsibility of the proposed guardian or conservator.
Use a bond worksheet to determine the appropriate bond amount
- Example: San Mateo, CA: Bond Worksheet in Conservatorship of the Estate Materials, p. 46
Set a fee schedule. Deny fees that are disproportionate to the value of the estate or activities. Amend fees after changes occurred.
Fee worksheet examples:
Education and Training
Training prior to appointment can help ensure that guardians and conservators understand their duties. Many courts require or encourage guardians to complete training.
The Third National Guardianship Summit (2011) resulted in the Guardian Standards and Recommendations for Action, which calls for guardians to seek ongoing education concerning person-centered planning, surrogate decision-making, responsibilities and duties of guardians, legal processes of guardianship and state certification of guardians (Standard #2.1). It recommends that courts ensure "sufficient ongoing, multi-faceted education" to those involved in the guardianship process, including guardians and court staff (Recommendation #2.1).
The National Probate Court Standards state that courts should develop and implement programs for the orientation, education and assistance of guardians and conservators (Standard 3.3.14). While few states statutorily require that guardians receive training, most courts provide some level of orientation or education either through printed manuals, videos, online training and information and in-person briefing sessions (many in multiple languages).
Examples of training materials include the following:
- NCSC’s online course: Finding the Right Fit
- The Center for Elders and Courts' online course: Justice Responses to Elder Abuse
- Arizona's Supreme Court prescribes this Probate Training
- California: Self-Help Page for Conservators
- Florida: Guardianship Basics: A Handbook for Guardians (2009), and from the 17th Judicial Circuit: HANDBOOK FOR GUARDIANS (revised 2019)
- Georgia: Handbooks for Guardians/Conservators
- Maryland courts developed this guardian orientation video and this video on preventing abuse and neglect.
- Minnesota courts created this Conservatorship & Guardianship Training and offer this Introduction for Newly Appointed Guardians and Conservators (video)
- New Mexico: Adult Guardian and Conservator Orientation Program (Videos)
- North Carolina: self-paced, on-demand Training for Public Guardians
- The Supreme Court of Ohio established Rule 66.06 mandating guardian training and Rule 66.07 requiring continuing guardian and conservator education. To help meet this requirement, the Supreme Court of Ohio is offering free courses to guardians of adults.
- Texas courts require this Guardianship Training
- Wisconsin: Guardianship of Adults: A Decision-Making Guide
Very few states require that family guardians be trained (see Nebraska's program for an example of required educational instruction for family guardians). Generally, the level of assistance provided to family guardians tends to be limited. An exception is New York State's Guardianship Assistance Network, which can help individuals take the steps needed to become official guardians, set up a guardian bank account, write reports and accountings required by the court, find services and help to apply for government benefits, make a plan for the ward that allows as much independence as possible and locate resources.
General training opportunities and professional affiliations are increasingly available through national organizations. The mission of the National Guardianship Association (NGA) "is to establish and promote a nationally recognized standard of excellence in guardianship." NGA encourages family guardians to join its organization by offering a discounted membership fee. Professional certification is available in a number of states or through the Center for Guardianship Certification (CGC).
Further resources
Petition forms should be easily understood and should always be written in plain language.
Examples:
- Nevada courts provide a sample petition
- District of Columbia courts provide this petition form