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Florida Guardianship Procedures

By David M. Goldman

A person is qualified under Florida Law to serve as a guardian if he or she:

1. Is over the age of 18 years of age;
2. Is a Florida resident; or a non resident who is:

1. Related by lineal consanguinity to the ward;
2. A legally adopted child or adoptive parent of the ward;
3. A spouse, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, niece, or nephew of the ward, or someone elated by lineal consanguinity to any such person; or
4. The spouse of a person otherwise qualified above; and

4. Has never been convicted of a felony.

Filed with the Court, along with the Petition to Determine Incapacity, is a Petition for Appointment of Guardian, and an Application for Appointment as Guardian.

In, Florida, unless the Alleged Incapacitated Person is indigent, the Petition must also be accompanied by a check to the Clerk of Court for the filing fees of around $288.50, and a check in the amount of $20.00 to the County Sheriff for service of process. (fees may vary slightly per county)

Upon the filing of a Petition to Determine Incapacity, the Court will appoint three individuals to serve as members of an examining committee.

One member must be a psychiatrist or another type of physician.
The other two members must be either a psychologist, gerontologist, physician, a registered nurse, nurse practitioner, a licensed social worker, a person with an advanced degree in gerontology from an accredited institution of higher education, or other person who by knowledge, skill, experience, training, or education may, in the court's discretion, advise the court in the form of an expert opinion.

At least one of three members must have knowledge of the type of incapacity alleged in the petition. Generally without good cause, the family physician may not be appointed to the committee.

Next the examining committee members will each meet independently with the alleged incapacitated person to evaluate his or her abilities and file a written report with the Court.

The Court will also appoint an attorney to represent the alleged incapacitated person. The alleged incapacitated person may substitute their own attorney to represent them throughout the proceeding.

If a family member is appointed by the Court to serve as guardian, that family member will be required to attend an eight (8) hour educational course for guardians. They must also submit to criminal and credit background checks, proof of which must be filed with the Court. It is possible for non Florida residents to "attend" the educational course by listening to audio tapes.

The approximate cost to open a guardianship, which includes court costs, the examining committee fees, the court appointed attorney's fees, and your attorney's fees, range from approximately $5,000.00 to $7,500.00 or more if contested by other family members. After the guardianship is setup there will also be yearly fees associated with the requirements of the court. These fees and costs can range from $300.00 to over $2,500.00 per year.

For more information on Florida Guardianships Contact a Florida Estate Planning Lawyer who handles Florida Guardianships.

Full post as published by Florida Estate Planning Lawyer Blog on March 05, 2008 (boomark / email).