Guardianships
For a child, or for someone who can no longer decide alone.
A guardianship gives someone the legal authority to make decisions for a person who cannot safely make them, a minor or an adult. We walk families through it with the same care our clients say we bring to everything.
Two very different reasons for the same word
Guardianship covers two situations that have almost nothing in common except the legal mechanism. One is a minor child who needs an adult with legal authority to act for them. The other is an adult, often a parent or a spouse, who can no longer manage their own finances, medical care or daily living safely, whether because of an accident, an illness, or the slow effect of age. Ohio requires a court process either way, and we provide compassionate, knowledgeable guidance through every step of it, from the initial filing to the appointment itself.
Handled with the same person from start to finish
Lori Palermo has worked in probate and guardianship matters at the firm since 2013, more than thirty years in the field altogether, and she is the person most families speak with as a guardianship moves through the county probate court, from the petition through the paperwork that follows it.
Ciccolini & Associates, Akron Bar Association | Ohio State Bar Association Call (330) 753-1051.
Who a guardianship is for
Two situations, two paths through the same court.
For a minor
When a child's parents die or become unable to care for them, a court appoints a guardian with legal authority over the child until they reach adulthood, or until the court says otherwise. Naming a guardian for minor children in a Last Will & Testament, done as part of estate planning, is how most families make this decision themselves rather than leaving it to a judge who has never met them.
For an adult
When an adult can no longer manage their own finances, medical care or daily living safely, a court can appoint a guardian to make those decisions in their place. This is often, though not always, a parent whose grown child is stepping in, or a spouse or adult child looking after a loved one.
If you are here because of this week
Most families who call us about a guardianship are in the middle of something hard, a new diagnosis, an accident, or a parent who has quietly stopped being able to manage on their own. There is no need to have every detail sorted out before you call. Tell us what is happening, and we will tell you what the process actually involves for your family's situation.
Questions we hear most
Before a guardianship conversation
The information on this website is provided for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Viewing this site, contacting the firm, or sending a message through it does not create an attorney-client relationship. An attorney-client relationship is formed only by a signed written agreement. Do not send confidential information until such an agreement is in place. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.