What is Guardianship?
Some people need help managing their daily affairs because of their age, a disease or an injury. If this happens, a court of law may appoint a guardian for them.
Guardian and ward are legal terms used to indicate the relationship between someone who protects another (the guardian) and the person being protected (the ward). In Texas, the process to appoint a guardian includes:
- Filing an application with a court
- Having a hearing before a judge
- Having a judge appoint a guardian, if one is needed
Because having a guardian takes away a person’s rights, it should be the last and the best choice to protect someone. Before asking a court to appoint a guardian, other options are usually tried first, such as:
- Finding someone to help the person pay bills and manage money
- Finding someone to help the person make decisions, including health care decisions
- Enrolling the person in available community services, including Medicaid programs
Once a guardian is appointed, it often becomes permanent. However, if things change significantly, a judge can decide a guardian is no longer needed.
Tell me what happened
Write to me through the contact form: what happened, roughly when, and who is involved. I read these myself. Writing means our first conversation can be about your situation instead of getting me up to speed.
This page is general information about Texas law. It is not legal advice about your situation, and reading it does not create an attorney–client relationship. These matters turn heavily on specific facts and specific dates, and the law has exceptions this page does not cover. You should not take, or refrain from taking, any action based on this page. Discuss your circumstances with an attorney who can advise you on them.