In Florida, a guardianship can be used when someone is unable to take care of themselves. They are placed into a guardianship so that the guardian will be there to provide the necessary support and care.
In some cases, this is known as a plenary guardianship. This means that the person who has been placed into it is completely incapacitated and cannot care for themselves. The guardian has complete authority over all major decisions and actions in their life, such as financial decisions or medical decisions. The guardian can access their bank accounts, make medical decisions with their doctor, pick up medications on their behalf, pay their taxes and much more.
Limited guardianship
But there are also cases in which someone may be incapacitated in a certain sense, but also able to care for themselves in other areas. In these situations, a limited guardianship can be used. The role of the guardian is still important, but they only have responsibility over specific aspects of that person’s life and the care that they need.
For example, the person may have a medical condition and they have retained the ability to make their own decisions about treatment and care on their own. But while they are in the hospital dealing with that condition, they are unable to handle the financial complexities of their life. A guardian may step into a role handling their finances, but not have any ability to make medical choices for them.
Every situation is unique, and a limited guardianship can be written in many different ways. It is important to know how this works and what legal steps to take.