When Is It Time to Step In and Help a Loved One Legally?

There's a different requirement for a guardianship than for a conservatorship. In a guardianship, somebody just needs to prove that they're not making safe decisions. And at that point, you would need to file something with the courts for an intervention. You would need to meet with an attorney to decide whether it's an emergency situation and you need something temporary and very fast, but that temporary appointment can expire in six months, nine months. So if you need something that's permanent, you want to talk to an attorney to see whether it makes sense to get an emergency temporary appointment or a permanent, or both, and then whether a guardianship or a conservatorship is necessary for your parent.

Maybe somebody needs help with their medical care, but all of their bills are automated, or they have a financial power of attorney where somebody is helping them with their finances and they have that authority, and you only need a guardianship. There are those kinds of situations where it depends on what the family is experiencing and what kind of support you need. It is very tailored to what that family is currently experiencing.