Situations frequently arise where adults become unable to take care of their health, safety and/or personal needs, or where they may become unable to manage their property or financial affairs. These can range from special needs children reaching adulthood to persons who have become disabled as the result of an injury or of an illness, such as dementia. In these cases, it may be necessary for a family member or other trusted individual to petition the Court to appoint a guardian and/or conservator to care for the person and/or estate of the disabled person.
In Virginia, several statutes exist governing the procedure that must be complied with in order to appoint a guardian or conservator. At Szabo, Zelnick & Erickson, PC, the attorney who handles these matters has over a decade of experience working with various parts of the guardianship process, and has handled both petitions for families seeking to protect their loved ones as well as acting as a court-appointed Guardian ad litem, appointed by the court to investigate guardianship petitions and to make recommendations to the court on how to serve the best interests of the disabled person.
When handling guardianship and conservatorship petitions, we spend time meeting with the client to learn as much as possible about the background and needs of the disabled person. This allows us to draft petitions that best serve the needs of our clients and assist them in protecting and meeting the needs of their disabled family members.