Legal Guardianship
Legal Guardianship is a person who acquires the legal authority and the binding responsibilities at the same time, in order to manage and oversee the personal rights and the properties of an individual known as a ward. Ward could be anyone who is a minor, an elderly person with high age range, or any kind of disabled one who is not capable of taking care of themselves and providing their own interests. Often times children need a legal guardian appointed, if parents are no longer able to provide effective care anymore, therefore to protect them from any potential harm.
The role of the guardian ad litem is one form of temporary legal guardianship. When there is a case of divorce proceedings, a person as a guardian ad litem will be appointed by the court to serve. Usually they are social worker or lawyer, even though the job description of these individuals will vary. In the case of criminal or civil litigation proceedings, the particular task for the guardian ad litem would be to oversee, protect and represent the best interests of children.
Duties of a guardian ad litem include:
- Inform and educate the child the issues surrounding all
court proceedings, protect the rights of a child, and ensure the
presence of the guardian ad litem
- Appear at all trials and represent the best interests of the child
- On behalf of the child, fill all the court legal papers and make a
request if necessary
- Advise and educate the child the court's final decision and how it
will affect his/her own life
During the court proceedings or whenever the Child Custody becomes an issue and is being disputed, a guardian ad litem will be put in place to serve the best interests of the child while the legal events are ongoing.
Other forms of legal guardianships are individuals whom the court considers to be competent to provide the necessary care and decision making process. Usually the temporary guardian would accept what is seen as a probationary status, before he/she accepts a complete legal guardianship of a ward..
If you are considering Legal
Guardianship Forms, make sure that you have written legal
forms signed by you. Any signed document is legally binding, so consult
with your own lawyer when in doubt. For easy downloadable forms, go
online and search for law
info and you should be able to find many general legal forms
and documents such as, power of attorney and legal custody forms.