Guardianship
- Guardianship Home
- Guardianship Guide
- How to Use this Guide
- Get the Facts
- What is a Guardian
- Full or Limited Guardianship
- Alternatives to Full Guardianship
- How to Research Alternatives
- What Have Others Learned
- When is Full Guardianship Appropriate
- What Can an Individual Expect
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Key Points
- More Help and Information
- What Else Can You Do
- About this guide
- Survey
- Questions & Answers
- Guardianship Tutorial
Additional Resources
Full or Limited Guardianship
What you need to know about Full Guardianship:
- Full guardianship can take away an individual's basic rights to make choices about his or her life.
- Under full guardianship, a person may not be able to choose where to live, what to eat or wear, or who to have relationships with.
- Under full guardianship, a person may not be allowed to access money, spend money, or save money.
- Guardianship is not a quick fix. The process of appointing a guardian may require significant time and energy.
- Having a guardian does not prevent an individual from making poor decisions.
- While individuals retain some rights under a limited guardianship, most guardians in Maine have full guardianships of their wards. It is important to understand that full guardianship is not the only option.
The court can assign a FULL or LIMITED guardianship.
Under Full Guardianship, a guardian has decision-making control over all areas of an individual's life.
Under a Limited Guardianship, a guardian has control over some but not all areas of an individual's life. For example, a limited guardian may be responsible for providing consent for medical treatment or making all financial decisions.
