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18BODYOFCHRISTNEWSOCTOBER2014Asageneralruleinoursocietythelawpresumesthatalladultshavetheabilitytomaketheirowndecisionsconcerningtheirhealthcareandthemanagementoftheirpropertywithoutanyoneshelp.Howevertherearemanycircumstanceswhereanadultdoesnothavetheabilitytomakethesedecisionsbythemselvesandtheyneedtohavesomeonemanagetheiraffairs.Therearealsosituationswhereachildneedssomeoneotherthantheirparentstotakecareofthemortoconservetheirproperty.Foranadultundersomecircumstancespowersofattorneyislow-costinstru-mentthatcanbeusedassistsuchpersons.OfcourseminorsdonthavethelegalcapacitytogivesomeoneapowerofattorneyandadifferentlegaltoolisneededHoweverevenforadultspowersofattorneymaynotbeadvisableorevenpossible.Perhapstheadultisbegin-ningtolosehisorhermentalfacul-tiesandisgivingloadsifhisorhermoneyawaytotheirfavoritecharityormakingunnecessarypurchasesataratethatwillsoonbankruptthem.Apowerofattorneyisnotverygoodatprotectingtheadultinthiscircum-stancebecausetheadultstillhastheabilitytospendhisorhermoneyfree-ly.Orconsiderthesituationwheretheadultdoesnothavethelegalcapacityorcompetencytoenterintoacontract.Inthissituationiftheadulttriestogiveapowerofattorneytoafriendorfamilymemberitwouldbeinvalidbecausetheadultmustbelegallycom-petenttogiveanotherpersonapowerofattorneyatthispointitstoolate.Fortunatelythereisanalternative.Coloradoandeveryotherstatehaveestablishedlawsfortheappointmentofaguardianorconservatoroftenafamilymemberorfriendtoassistpeo-plewhentheyareunabletotakecareofthemselvesortomakesounddeci-sions.InColoradothetermguard-ianshipisusedtorefertothecourtsappointmentofanindividualoragencytoactasthedecisionmakerregard-ingapersonshealthcareandlivingarrangementsthetermconservator-shipreferstothecourtgrantingaper-sontheauthoritytomanageanotherindividualspropertyandassets.Inmanycircumstancestheguardianandtheconservatorarethesamepersonentity.Theappointmentcantbearbitraryorcapricioustheremustbeaneedfortheappointment.Therearethoseadultsthatwerebornwithadevelop-mentalimpairmentorgeneticdisordersuchasDownSyndromethatmayneedtheassistanceofaguardianandoraconservator.Thereareotherpeo-plewhohavesufferedaninjurysevereenoughtonecessitatetheassistanceofaguardianandoraconservatortomakedecisionsforthem.Insuchacircumstancewhereathereisabraininjuryandamonetarysettlementisawardedandthepersonwillneedcontinuedmedicaltreatmentacon-servatorshipmaybeneededinordertocreateaspecialtrustthatwillprotectthesettlementawardandpreventtheinjuredpersonfrombeingdisqualifiedfromreceivingMedicaidtopayforthehighlyspecializedandexpensivemedi-calcarethattheinjuredpersonneeds.Howeverthemostcommonscenarioarisesfromtheagingadultwholosesmobilityandindependenceduetotheirdecliningphysicalandsometimesmentalhealth.Therearemanyagingadultswhohavebecomephysicallyandmentallyunabletomanagetheiraffairsanditmaybeintheirphysicalandfinancialbestinteresttoutilizetheprotectionofferedbyaguardianshipandorconservatorship.InColoradotheprocessforappointingaguardianandconser-vatorisgovernedbytheColoradoUniformGuardianshipandProtectiveProceedingAct.TheActrequiresthatapersoninterestedintheindividu-alswelfarePetitionerfileapetitionforappointmentintheProbateCourtorDistrictCourtintheCountywheretheprotectedpartythepersonthatneedstheassistanceoftheguardianconservatorresides.ThePetitionercanrequestlimitedorunlimitedauthor-itytoactonbehalfoftheprotectedparty.Asstatedpreviouslymostoftenthepeti-tionisfiledbyafamilymemberorclosefriendalthoughstateagen-ciessuchasacountysDepartmentofHealthandHumanServicesorPublicAdministratorsOfficemayfileforappointmentifasuitablefriendorfamilymembercannotbequicklylocated.Theconservatororguardianmaybepaidafeefortheirservicesfromtheassetsoftheprotectedper-sonsestatethusisagoodideatochoosewiselytheguardianorconser-vatorandtoplaninadvance.Thepetitionmuststatethenatureandextentoftheincapacity.Forexam-pleapersonthatwasinvolvedinaseriousautomobileaccidentresultinginacomawouldhavethisoccurrencestatedinthepetitionalongwithsup-portingdocumentationfromthetreat-ingphysician.Similarlyaclaimthatthepersonwassufferingfromsometypeofmentalillnessoraddictionwouldhavetobestatedinthepetitionandsupportedbyaphysiciansmedi-calopinion.Thepetitionmustlistalltheassetsoftheminororincapacitatedper-son.Incapacitatedmeansthatyouareunabletoeffectivelyreceiveorevaluateinformationormakeorcom-municatetosuchanextentthattheindividuallackstheabilitytosatisfyessentialrequirementsforphysicalhealthsafetyorselfcareevenwithappropriatetechnology.Inapetitionforconservatorshiptheremustbeclearandconvincingevidencethattheindividualisunabletomanagetheirfinancialorbusinessaffairsandthepreponderanceoftheevidencemustshowthatprotectedpersonspropertywouldbewastedordissipatedunlessmanagementisprovidedorthatotherindividualsdependingonthatpropertyforsupportwillsuffer.TherearerequirementsintheActtosafeguardtheprotectedpartynever-thelessitiscrucialtohavesomeoneyoutrusttoholdthispositionratherthantosimplyleaveittotheCourtsdiscretion.Oncethepetitionforguard-ianshiporconservatorshipisapprovedtheappointedguardianorconser-vatorischargedinthecourtorderwiththeobligationandauthoritytoprotectandactinthebestinter-estoftheincapacitatedpersonsinterest.Thecourtorderdefinesthelimitsoftheconserva-torguardiansauthor-ity.AnnualreportsarerequiredtobefiledwiththeCourtdocu-mentingallactivitiesandaccountingforallexpenses.Theguard-ianshipandconserva-torshipannualreportsdocumentthestatusofthemedicaltreatmentplanfortheincapaci-tatedpersonandstatetheassetsliabilitiesexpensesandincome.Fortheappointmentofaguardianorconservatortheincapacitydoesnothavetobepermanent.Ininstanceswheretheprotectedpersonrecoverstheconservatorshiporguardianshipwillterminatebycourtorder.Othercasesremainopenuntiltheadultpro-tectedpersondiesatwhichtimetheestateisdistributedtothosepersonsnameinthewillortotheheirspur-suanttotheColoradolawsofintes-tatesuccession.Conservatorshipsandguardianshipsforminorsterminatewhenthereachtheageofmajority.AlthoughnotperfecttheColoradoUniformGuardianshipandProtectiveProceedingActhaspreservedcount-lessassetsandprovidedinvaluableassistancetopersonswholackedtheabilitytomanagetheirassetsandtakecareofthemselves.WithouttheActmanyofthesepeoplewouldhavebeentakenadvantageoflosteverythingtheyownedandwouldhavelivedonthisearthforafarshortertimethandid.TheActisaninvaluabletoolforthoseneedinghelptomanagetheiraffairs.Ifyouorsomeoneyouknowwouldbenefitfromtheprotectionandassistanceofferedfromtheeffectiveuseofpowersofattorneyaguardian-shiporconservatorshiporestateplan-ningdontwaitanylongerThisarticleismadeavailableforeducationalpurposesonlyaswellastogivethereadergeneralinformationandageneralunderstandingofthelawnottoprovidespecificlegaladvice.Inreadingthisarticleyouunderstandthatthereisnoattorney-clientrelation-shipbetweenyouandtheauthor.Thisarticleshouldnotbeusedasasubsti-tuteforindividualizedlegaladvicefromalicensedprofessional.ProtectionforThoseinNeedByJeremeBakerEsq.LAWJeremeBakerInColoradotheprocessforappointingaguardianandconservatorisgovernedbytheColoradoUniformGuardianshipandProtectiveProceedingAct.