Milwaukee and Waukesha Guardianship Lawyer
Guardianship is the legal process of appointing a person to make financial and health care decisions for another person. A guardianship may be needed whenever the other person (known as the ward) does not have a power of attorney and is not competent to complete one. A conservatorship is similar to a guardianship. However, in a conservatorship, a court does not need to find that an individual is incompetent to handle their affairs.
Being named someone's guardian or conservator is a serious responsibility. Attorney Rollie R. Hanson guides families though the guardianship process throughout southeastern Wisconsin, including West Allis and the Greater Milwaukee area.
In Wisconsin, a guardian can be appointed to make health care decisions, financial decisions or both for someone who cannot make those decisions for himself or herself. There are several situations where you may need to be appointed someone's guardian:
- If an elderly parent is not competent to sign a power of attorney, you or an adult sibling may need to be appointed your parent's guardian in order to pay bills, manage assets and make health care decisions for your parent.
- If you have a disabled child, you will need to be appointed your child's guardian once he or she becomes an adult. Otherwise, you would not have the legal authority to make financial and health care decisions for your child.
- If your child is the beneficiary of a life insurance policy, a lawsuit settlement or an inheritance, the child will need a guardian to manage the money until the child reaches 18. Even if you are the child's parent, you will still need to be appointed as your child's legal guardian in order to control your child's assets.
In addition to guiding people through the guardianship process, we advise guardians concerning their obligations and liability as a guardian.
Lawyer consultation
To set up an appointment to discuss guardianship of a loved one with lawyer Rollie R. Hanson, call 414-321-9733 or complete our simple contact form on this site. We are conveniently located in the Lincoln Center III on National Avenue in West Allis.
