How much does it cost to get guardianship?

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My mother is almost 90, has dementia, and is getting more and more confused and hard to deal with. She absolutely refuses to go to a nursing home. I heard that getting guardianship is very expensive, into thousands of dollars, and I don't have that kind of money. Can anyone tell me about this? By the way, she lives with me, and we are having a terrible time getting along. She simply will not listen to me.

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Answers 1 to 10 of 15
You can call several different Elder Care law offices, and they could give ballpark eestimates, and most will give a free consultation too. Lawyer fees vary according to geographical area, small town or big metro area, etc. I don't know if you can do guardianship by yourself--its best to have a lawyer. And even if you can make a good case that mom needs a guardian, there's no guarantee the Judge will appoint you--they might appoint a 3rd party. A lawyer can fill you in on all the most likely outcomes, as well as costs.
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Getting guardianship costs around $8,000.
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Guardianship for my spouse with Dementia cost about $2600 for the first trip! Had to go again because I did not know the words "and estate of" have to be in the Letter of Guardianship. You can be the Guardian of the "Person of ...." which does not really allow you to conduct, or stop the person from conducting, any financial issues. Second trip to judge was $1900. Finally completed it. I highly recommend using an attorney.
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Top Answer
Please go to an attorney, or at least call for most likely a free consultation, and he/she can give you detailed information about guardianships.
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I agree with the others, that you should contact an attorney. He or she can give you all of the information you need. I think it can take around a month to get a guardianship, but I'm sure it varies depending on where you live.
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In some states guardianship requires getting an attorney, but not in all. North Carolina guardianship cases, for example, are handled by the County Clerk of Superior Court and do not require a lawyer. However, you should at least consult with an attorney if there is any disagreement among the family.
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My mother has guardianship on my father. And she has been living up north for close to two years. While I am making sure my father gets everything he needs while in the ALF he is at. Now my mother has gotten worse with brain tumor and my sister doesn't want me to become guardian and doesn't help me with anything I do for my father. I take him to all his appointments and take him out to eat and haircuts and pay out of my pocket. But now it is getting tougher for me and I don't like how my sister is ignoring all I do for our father. She only comes three times a Year and I am there everyday. What can I do when I don't have money for an attorney. My father is doing so much better since I became POA of his health only. Help!!!!
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SavingPapi, you would get the most personalized responses to your question, if you posting as an entirely new question, not as a response to another question. But it sounds like your mom is no longer able to serve as Guardian to your dad-- so you need to pursue Guardianship for your dad. Have you documented everything you've been doing? Can you get witnesses that have seen your daily efforts for dad? Does the ALF have a sign-in book, and/or video security tape which has captured all your daily visits? Do you have any credit card records of taking dad.out to eat, doctor appointments, did you take any photos of him on your cell.phone? These types of documentation could be very valuable when pursuing guardianship. Best wishes. Hope everything works out for your dad's sake.
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Thank you very much for your comment and answers. My mother died in March. I should have responded before this, but things have been very difficult. I thank everyone who has answered. I have felt great relief since she has passed, but I also feel much guilt. I will talk about it at another time. Thank you all.
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Some court houses have free consulting for family matters. Check there. student lawyers need practice...They will walk you through the steps. It takes a few days, andit may be harder with an olderly mental person. AT least its a start. Go to the court house and ask where family help is. It's a start.goodluck
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