You worry about your parents. Lately, your dad seems more forgetful and confused. He is suddenly vulnerable and unable to care for his basic needs. Now what? Friends have told you to get a guardianship for him. What does that mean? In Minnesota, obtaining guardianship for a parent involves several steps. Please note a guardianship…
Continue reading…Estate Planning 101: Why It Is Important For Young Families
A Trusts and Estate Lawyer Talks About the Need for an Estate Plan for Young Families Becoming a new parent is an amazing experience, but it can also be overwhelming. One of the things you need to think about as a new parent is estate planning. Estate planning may not be the most exciting thing…
Continue reading…How Do You Become a Guardian
How do you start a guardianship? You come home for the holidays and see your Dad in person for the first time since last year. You notice he is forgetful, and you fear for his safety since he lives alone. A friend tells you to become his guardian? What does it mean to become a…
Continue reading…What Is a Guardianship?
A Minnesota Guardianship Attorney Explains What Guardianship Means Under Minnesota law, a Guardianship is a process by which a Court appoints someone to act as the surrogate decision-maker for an incapacitated person. Why is Guardianship needed? A guardianship may be needed for two different scenarios. Care of a Minor Child. If the legal parents of a minor…
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What Is the Difference Between a Guardianship and a Conservatorship?
There often comes a point in time where you will need to make a decision regarding whether a loved one has become unable to manage his or her own affairs. It can be a difficult time and a difficult decision, but it can also be necessary to protect your loved one. In Minnesota, guardianships and…
Continue reading…What Is Guardianship?
Under certain circumstances, a court may act and appoint a person who will be tasked with making personal decisions for a person found to be incapable of making these decisions on their own. The appointed person is referred to as a “guardian.” The position they have taken on is referred to as a “guardianship.” What…
Continue reading…What to Consider When Selecting a Guardian for Your Children?
Grappling with the thought that you might not be there to raise your children can be one of the most difficult and important things for you to process. The selection of a guardian for your children will help ensure that you trust the person who will care for your children and know that they will…
Continue reading…GUARDIANSHIP SERIES, PART I: WHAT IS A GUARDIANSHIP?
A Minnesota Guardianship Attorney Explains What It Means to be a Guardian. It’s that time of year when family is back together, maybe for the first time in months or years. In spending time with your Dad, you make the heart-wrenching discovery that he has become incapable of caring for himself. Perhaps he has difficulty…
Continue reading…Minnesota Guardianship – What Is a Court Visitor?
A Minnesota Guardianship Lawyer Explains the Role of a Court Visitor in Guardianship Proceedings In order to assist with understanding how this may work, let’s use a hypothetical. Your aging father has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. He doesn’t have a Health Care Directive and he no longer has the capacity to sign one. You come…
Continue reading…Assisting Your Aging Parents, Part I: Avoiding Guardianship and Conservatorships
Guardianships & Conservatorships and How to Avoid Them If a person becomes mentally or physically incapacitated to a point where they can no longer make rational decisions about their person or their finances, their loved ones may consider a guardianship or a conservatorship whereby a guardian would make decisions concerning the physical person of the…
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