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Individuals Under Guardianship

Woman having coffee and eating.
Older woman sitting on a couch holding a cane.
Older man sitting on a couch and smiling.

Individuals under guardianship (wards) are:

  • 18 years and older
  • Have a cognitive impairment that prevents their ability to make informed decisions
  • There is no other person who is able and/or willing to be a guardian
  • Declared by the court to be either wholly or partially disabled and unable to manage their personal, medical, and/or financial affairs*
  • Note: Emergency guardians or emergency conservators may be appointed for individuals who have not yet been declared to be disabled. They are not declared until they have a jury/bench trial and are adjudicated disabled.

Examples of disabilities may include:

  • Developmental or Intellectual Disability
  • Acquired or Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Severe and Persistent Mental Illness
  • Alzheimer’s or Dementia

*Not everyone with a disability is cognitively impaired and in need of state guardianship.