Guardians & Conservators
by: Developed from materials provided by Wyoming Senior Citizens, Inc.
The Basics
Who is a guardian or conservator?
A guardian is someone chosen by
the court to care for the personal well-being of another person.
A conservator is someone chosen by
the court to care for the property of another person. The property
cared for by a conservator is called "the estate."
-
The same person can be appointed (appointed is
another word for chosen) as guardian and conservator.
-
The person protected by a guardian or conservator
is called a ward.
When is a guardian or conservator needed?
-
A guardian and/or conservator is appointed to
make choices for a person who is over 18. This person must be unable
to make choices for themselves.
-
A guardian and/or conservator may be chosen to
make decisions for minors (less than 18 years of age) whose parents
cannot do so.
What must a guardian do?
-
The guardian must file a report with the court
about the ward’s physical condition. The report must tell the court
what things the guardian has done to help the ward.
-
The report must be filed within 6 months of
appointment and on a yearly basis after that.
What else does the guardian have to do?
The guardian must
1. Care for the ward’s personal property;
2. Care for the education and support of the ward;
3. Make sure that the ward’s extra funds aren't wasted;
4. Collect debts owed to the ward;
5. Get medical
and other care for the ward;
What must a conservator do?
Becuase a conservator cares for property, the
duties of a conservator are different than those of a guardian
-
The conservator must file an inventory (list) of
all the ward’s property with the court.
-
The list must be filed within 90 days of the
conservator being appointed by the court.
-
The list must be filed once a year after the
first report is filed.
What else must a conservator do?
A conservator must care for the ward’s estate
(property) by:
1. Collecting the ward’s income and assets;
2. Investing the ward’s estate prudently;
3. Dealing with lawsuit or debts against the
ward’s estate;
4. Using the ward’s estate for education, care and
support of the ward;
5. Collecting debts owed to the ward;
6. Anything else the law says must happen.
A conservator is not required to use
his/her own funds to support the ward.
Who do I call for help?
For more information, contact:
-
If you are low-income call Wyoming Legal
Services
Wyoming Legal Services
Janet
Millard, Director
P.O. Box 1160
Lander, WY 82520
(307)
332-6626 or 1-800-442-6170
-
The Wyoming Guardianship Corporation
at
Wyoming Guardianship Corporation
Sue
Mydland, R.G., Director
P.O. Box 2778
Cheyenne, WY 82001
(307)
635-8422
smydland@msn.com
|
