Guardianship
So, a judge has named you Guardian of your husband, wife, parent, relative or friend. What does that mean? What can you do as Guardian? What do you have to do? This section should help answer some of your questions. This section assumes that you have been appointed Guardian by an Illinois Court. It does not explain how to become a Guardian. You will most likely need the assistance of an attorney to have yourself named as a Guardian.
There are different types of Guardians. You may be a:
- Guardian of the Person (hereafter called Personal Guardian)
- Guardian of the Estate (hereafter called Estate Guardian)
- Limited Guardian
- Plenary Guardian
- Temporary Guardian
- Successor Guardian
A Personal Guardian tends to the personal care of the ward. An Estate Guardian is responsible for tending to the ward's estate (real estate, personal property, money, and the like). A Limited Guardian has only those powers granted by the court order appointing the Guardian, while a Plenary Guardian holds all powers available to guardians under the law. A Temporary Guardian has only certain powers for no more than 60 days. Any of these guardians may have responsibility for the ward's personal care, the estate, or both. A Successor Guardian takes over by Order of the Court for a previously appointed guardian, and usually has the same duties and powers as the previous guardian.