When a person is unable to handle their own financial or personal matters and they did not have financial or medical powers of attorney prior to becoming incapacitated, a judge may appoint a conservator. Depending on the needs of the conservatee, a conservator may be appointed just to take care of financial business, to handle the day-to-day decisions or both. In an ideal situation, the conservator is a close family member who is familiar with their loved one’s needs, wishes and goals.
In some cases, family members do not agree on the best person to assume guardianship in Gurnee. If you believe that you would be the best person to look after your loved one, a lawyer may represent you in the contested conservatorship proceedings and help you show the court that you are in the best position to meet your loved one’s needs.
Judge’s typically prefer that a spouse serves as conservator when their husband or wife is unable to make their own decisions due to a medical or mental health related issue. When a spouse is not available, the duties may fall on adult children. Though the role of a conservator is labor-intensive, more than one adult child sometimes wants the job of taking care of their parent.
Whether you cannot agree with your family members about who should serve as conservator for your loved one or your loved one is not in agreement with you about the need for a conservatorship or guardianship in Gurnee, an experienced law firm such as Charles T. Newland and Associates may help you by filing the appropriate documents with the court and representing your interests in the case.
Ultimately, the decision of who to appoint as conservator or even whether a person needs a conservator is up to the judge. After a conservator is appointed, they will have to keep the court informed by submitting financial and medical documents. A guardian may collect a small fee for their services out of the estate. The duties of a conservator end when the person they are caring for regains the capacity to care for themselves or dies.
