An Open Door

Saturday, June 30, 2012


An Open Door



Guardians will find any crack in the crevice to get into our lives and our loved one's pocketbook; but oftentimes, we've unwittingly opened the door and invited them in ourselves, following a family feud. This is the phrase the guardians like to use - or "family squabble."



It could start because one family member feels slighted - discovering another will inherit more of the eventual estate. Theft by a family member is often actually involved. Or maybe one sibling is taking care of Mom and the others think that he/she is taking advantage of her or not treating her properly. Maybe the siblings have never gotten along. Worse, maybe one sibling is actually abusing Mom and she's in danger. Sometimes families call an APS-type agency to complain about each other. The problem escalates very quickly and often ends up in court, where the siblings expect the disagreement will be settled -- by a judge who will hear all sides. Each side may believe they're clearly right and the others are wrong.



The day you take the matter to court is the day you lose your loved one! Almost without exception, the judge will appoint a third-party guardian - regardless of whether advance directives (durable power of attorney, health proxy, wills, trusts, etc.) are in place or not.



Source:

StopGuardianAbuse.org