When children cannot be cared for by their parents, the courts in Fresno will appoint a guardian for the child. A guardian is also necessary in the case of adults who cannot care for themselves due to disability or another concern. If someone you love is in need of a guardian, or you feel that you would be the best guardian for someone in your life, working with a family law attorney with experience in guardianship cases can help. Amy L. Lopez, Attorney at Law, provides guardianship services to families in Fresno, CA and the surrounding communities.
Understanding Guardianship
Guardianship is considered a legal relationship where one person is given authority by the courts to make financial or medical decisions for someone else, and sometimes both types of decisions. This can occur when a child is left without parents and no will appointing a guardian, when a child with severe disabilities turns 18 or when an adult loses the capacity to make these types of decisions due to mental illness or other physical challenges.
In some cases a guardian will need to be appointed for an estate, instead of a person. For instance, if parents divorce, then one parent dies, the estate left to the children needs a guardian to manage the funds until the children come of age. In this type of guardianship, the guardian, which may be the other parent, is given the right to access the funds and other estate assets to be used for the child, until the time that the child is old enough to take over his or her inheritance.
Compassionate Care for Families Facing Guardianship Concerns
No matter what type of guardianship case you face, careful consideration of who would be the best guardian is important to protecting the best interest of the disabled or minor individual. In addition, in the case of disabled or elderly adults, the emotional state of the individual must be considered. Amy L. Lopez, Attorney at Law, has worked through these cases with numerous families and individuals, and she will provide compassionate guidance through the process to ensure your loved one’s needs are met and the proper guardian is in place to protect them physically and financially, as long as necessary. Contact Amy L. Lopez, Attorney at Law, today!