Guardianship: AARP/ABA Report; Washington Office

When people cannot handle their own affairs, courts often appoint guardians -- but not all guardians are competent, careful, diligent, and honorable. A report from AARP and the ABA looks at successful practices by courts.

Despite a dramatic strengthening of statutory standards in recent years, judicial monitoring practices vary substantially by jurisdiction. This AARP Public Policy Institute (PPI) Research Report by Naomi Karp (PPI) and Erica Wood (American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging) describes methods for helping courts protect some of our society's most vulnerable people. Through site visits to exemplary courts, the authors have identified promising approaches that can be replicated by courts around the country.

Press release, Dec. 2007.

The report is Guarding the Guardians: Promising Practices for Court Monitoring
Research Report, by Naomi Karp, J.D., AARP Public Policy Institute, and Erica F. Wood, American Bar Association, December 2007.

See this post (Dec. 6, 2006) about the Seattle Times's investigation of guardianship practices in this state.

Last year the legislature passed SSB 5320, 2007 Laws of Washington chapter 364, "Creating an office of public guardianship within the administrative office of the courts."

Washington's Office of Public Guardianship is just getting rolling.

The initial implementation of public guardianship services shall be on a pilot basis in a minimum of two geographical areas that include one urban area and one rural area. The Office of Public Guardianship plans to release a Request for Proposal (RFP) January 2008. The pilot programs will be selected from submitted proposals which satisfy the RFP critieria.

The RFP is here, with an addendum here. Proposals were due Feb. 8.