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9DECEMBER2013BODYOFCHRISTNEWSAsageneralruleinoursocietythelawpresumesthatalladultshavetheabilitytomaketheirowndecisionsconcerningtheirhealthcareandthemanagementoftheirpropertywithoutanyoneshelp.Howevertherearemanycircumstanceswhereanadultdoesnothavetheabilitytomakethesedeci-sionsbythemselvesandtheyneedtohavesomeonemanagetheiraffairs.Therearealsosituationswhereachildneedssomeoneotherthantheirparentstotakecareofthemortoconservetheirproperty.Foranadultundersomecircumstancespowersofattorneyislow-costinstrumentthatcanbeusedassistsuchpersons.Ofcourseminorsdonthavethelegalcapacitytogivesomeoneapowerofattor-neyandadifferentlegaltoolisneeded.Howeverevenforadultspowersofattorneymaynotbeadvis-ableorevenpossible.Perhapstheadultisbeginningtolosehisorhermentalfacultiesandisgivingloadsifhisorhermoneyawaytotheirfavoritechar-ityormakingunnecessarypurchasesataratethatwillsoonbankruptthem.Apowerofattorneyisnotverygoodatprotectingtheadultinthiscircumstancebecausetheadultstillhastheabilitytospendhisorhermoneyfreely.Orconsiderthesituationwheretheadultdoesnothavethelegalcapacityorcompetencytoenterintoacontract.Inthissituationiftheadulttriestogiveapowerofattorneytoafriendorfamilymemberitwouldbeinvalidbecausetheadultmustbelegallycompetenttogiveanotherpersonapowerofattor-neyatthispointitstoolate.Fortunatelythereisanalternative.Coloradoandeveryotherstatehaveestablishedlawsfortheappointmentofaguardianorconservatoroftenafamilymemberorfriendtoassistpeoplewhentheyareunabletotakecareofthemselvesortomakesounddecisions.InColoradothetermguardian-shipisusedtorefertothecourtsappointmentofanindividualoragencytoactasthedecisionmakerregardingapersonshealthcareandlivingarrange-mentsthetermconservatorshipreferstothecourtgrantingapersontheauthoritytomanageanotherindividualspropertyandassets.Inmanycircum-stancestheguardianandtheconservatorarethesamepersonentity.Theappointmentcantbearbitraryorcapricioustheremustbeaneedfortheappointment.Therearethoseadultsthatwerebornwithadevelop-mentalimpairmentorgeneticdisordersuchasDownSyndromethatmayneedtheassistanceofaguardianandorsconservator.Thereareotherpeoplewhohavesufferedaninjurysevereenoughtonecessitatetheassistanceofaguardianandoraconservatortomakedecisionsforthem.Insuchacircumstancewhereathereisabraininjuryandamonetarysettlementisawardedandthepersonwillneedcontinuedmedicaltreatmentaconservatorshipmaybeneededinordertocreateaspecialtrustthatwillprotectthesettlementawardandpreventtheinjuredpersonfrombeingdisqualifiedfromreceiv-ingMedicaidtopayforthehighlyspecializedandexpensivemedicalcarethattheinjuredpersonneeds.Howeverthemostcommonsce-narioarisesfromtheagingadultwholosesmobilityandindepen-denceduetotheirdecliningphysi-calandsometimesmentalhealth.Therearemanyagingadultswhohavebecomephysicallyandmen-tallyunabletomanagetheiraffairsanditmaybeintheirphysicalandfinancialbestinteresttoutilizetheprotectionofferedbyaguardian-shipandorconservatorship.InColoradotheprocessforappointingaguardianandconservatorisgovernedbytheColoradoUniformGuardianshipandProtectiveProceedingAct.TheActrequiresthatapersoninterestedintheindividualswelfarePetitionerfileapetitionforappointmentintheProbateCourtorDistrictCourtintheCountywheretheprotectedpartythepersonthatneedstheassistanceoftheguardianconservatorresides.ThePetitionercanrequestlimitedorunlimitedauthoritytoactonbehalfoftheprotectedparty.AsstatedpreviouslymostoftenthepetitionisfiledbyafamilymemberorclosefriendalthoughstateagenciessuchasacountysDepartmentofHealthandHumanServicesorPublicAdministratorsOfficemayfileforappointmentifasuitablefriendorfamilymembercannotbequicklylocated.Theconservatororguardianmaybepaidafeefortheirservicesfromtheassetsoftheprotectedpersonsestatethusisagoodideatochoosewiselytheguardianorconserva-torandtoplaninadvance.Thepetitionmuststatethenatureandextentoftheincapacity.Forexampleapersonthatwasinvolvedinaseriousautomobileaccidentresultinginacomawouldhavethisoccurrencestatedinthepetitionalongwithsupportingdocumentationfromthetreatingphysician.Similarlyaclaimthatthepersonwassufferingfromsometypeofmentalill-nessoraddictionwouldhavetobestatedinthepeti-tionandsupportedbyaphysiciansmedicalopinion.Thepetitionmustlistalltheassetsoftheminororincapacitatedperson.Incapacitatedmeansthatyouareunabletoeffectivelyreceiveorevaluateinforma-tionormakeorcommunicatetosuchanextentthattheindividuallackstheabilitytosatisfyessentialrequirementsforphysicalhealthsafetyorselfcareevenwithappropriatetechnology.Inapetitionforconservatorshiptheremustbeclearandconvinc-ingevidencethattheindividualisunabletomanagetheirfinancialorbusinessaffairsandthepre-ponderanceoftheevidencemustshowthatprotectedpersonsprop-ertywouldbewastedordissipatedunlessmanagementisprovidedorthatotherindividualsdependingonthatpropertyforsupportwillsuffer.TherearerequirementsintheActtosafeguardtheprotectedpartyneverthelessitiscrucialtohavesomeoneyoutrusttoholdthispositionratherthantosimplyleaveittotheCourtsdiscretion.Oncethepetitionforguardianshiporconservatorshipisapprovedtheappointedguardianorconservatorischargedinthecourtorderwiththeobligationandauthoritytoprotectandactinthebestinterestoftheinca-pacitatedpersonsinterest.Thecourtorderdefinesthelimitsoftheconservatorguardiansauthority.AnnualreportsarerequiredtobefiledwiththeCourtdocumentingallactivitiesandaccountingforallexpenses.Theguardianshipandconservatorshipannualreportsdocumentthestatusofthemedi-caltreatmentplanfortheincapacitatedpersonandstatetheassetsliabilitiesexpensesandincome.Fortheappointmentofaguardianorconserva-tortheincapacitydoesnothavetobepermanent.Ininstanceswheretheprotectedpersonrecoverstheconservatorshiporguardianshipwillterminatebycourtorder.OthercasesremainopenuntiltheadultprotectedpersondiesatwhichtimetheestateisdistributedtothosepersonsnameinthewillortotheheirspursuanttotheColoradolawsofintestatesuccession.Conservatorshipsandguardianshipsforminorsterminatewhenthereachtheageofmajority.AlthoughnotperfecttheColoradoUniformGuardianshipandProtectiveProceedingActhaspreservedcountlessassetsandprovidedinvaluableassistancetopersonswholackedtheabilitytoman-agetheirassetsandtakecareofthemselves.WithouttheActmanyofthesepeoplewouldhavebeentakenadvantageoflosteverythingtheyownedandwouldhavelivedonthisearthforafarshortertimethandid.TheActisaninvaluabletoolforthoseneed-inghelptomanagetheiraffairs.IfyouorsomeoneyouknowwouldbenefitfromtheprotectionandassistanceofferedfromtheeffectiveuseofpowersofattorneyaguardianshiporconservatorshiporestateplanningdontwaitanylongerJeremeBakerLAWProtectionForThoseinNeedByJeremeBaker.InColoradotheprocessforappointingaguardianandconservatorisgovernedbytheColoradoUniformGuardianshipandProtectiveProceedingAct.