Lawyer for Establishing Guardianships

Milton, Florida Guardianship Lawyer

Guardianships are commonly sought to care for a family member who either does not want the responsibility of dealing with finances or who is not competent to handle these matters. There are four primary types of guardianship in Florida:

• Voluntary guardianship, in which the person being protected (known as the ward) is determined to be competent by a medical doctor
• Involuntary guardianship, in which the ward is determined to be incompetent by a three-member team that includes a medical doctor, a case worker and a lay person.
• Guardianship of a minor child to manage more than $20,000 in assets from an inheritance, life insurance policy or personal injury lawsuit
• Permanent guardianship of a child in a dependency case

Attorney Jennifer Byrom has more than 30 years of experience in guiding families through the guardianship process in Santa Rosa County, Escambia County, Okaloosa County and Walton County in the Florida panhandle.

An involuntary guardianship usually takes several weeks to obtain. A voluntary guardianship can be obtained more quickly.

The person named as a guardian must file an accounting with the court at least once a year to show how the ward has been cared for and what has been done with the person’s assets (money). If the ward is an adult, he or she must have an annual physical and psychological evaluation and an annual plan filed with the court.

If the ward is a minor child, there will be a final accounting on the child’s 18th birthday of the assets that will then be turned over to the child upon the child turning eighteen years of age.

Attorney Consultation

To discuss your guardianship case with an experienced Florida lawyer, call Jennifer Byrom at 850-898-0340or fill out our simple contact form.