Who really is to blame for perverting the good intent of guardianship/conservatorship law?

Who should be watching but isn't?  Here's a list:


    ● The organized bench and bar and their self-policing organizations, which seem not to care how low they sink in the public's eyes, and who punish the lawyer whistleblowers;

    ● corrupt judges - for perverting the law and not supervising the guardians properly;

    ● court examiners - for being too greedy and refusing to do their work;

    ● appellate courts - for rubberstamping unlawful decisions;

    ● the Office of Court Administration - for not monitoring everything;

    ● legislators - for not acting upon victim complaints, holding oversight hearings and putting teeth in the guardian statutes; and

    ● executive branch (law enforcement), for not prosecuting complaints against lawyers and judges.

Here are the Top Ten Excuses. You don't have to have much of an imagination to see them first pick up their violin and begin to play. It's an old song, out of tune, but still on their list of greatest hits!    

1.  "It's a court matter."  (law enforcement agencies)       2.  "It's a state matter." (congressperson)       3.  "It's been going on a long time."       4.  "How did this all begin?  You must have done something wrong."       5.  "You must be leaving something out.  What you are saying doesn't make sense."       6.  "The guardian and conservator were appointed by a court; right?"       7.  "This is the wrong agency, get ahold of the attorney general's office.  Good luck."       8.  "We don't handle elder abuse allegations.  Get ahold of AARP, elder watch...." (Attorney General's office)       9.  "We called the Social Services and they said you must have done something wrong or the court would never have put your mother in a guardianship.  And in any case it's in the courts so we can do nothing." (Advocacy and governmental agencies)      10.  "So what do you want me to do? I'm a state legislator; I make laws."

Guardianship abuse and conservatorship abuse IS elder abuse!

 (c) 2006 - NASGA