The Adult Guardianship Division serves as guardian for approximately 800 adults with disabilities who need a guardian but who have no appropriate family or significant others to act as guardian. Most of the people under guardianship are elderly with an age-related dementia such as Alzheimer’s disease, although the office also serves a significant number of younger adults with cognitive impairments. As guardian, the office is responsible for making decisions on behalf of the people we serve in all areas of their life including medical care, end-of-life issues, placement, and financial and legal decisions. Fellows with Rule 711 licenses appear in various divisions of the Circuit Court to address diverse matters. For example, in addition to their guardianship cases in probate court, individuals under guardianship may have issues in housing court, mental health court, domestic relations, or criminal court. Fellows are also likely to work on financial exploitation recovery litigation. Other assignments might include legal research, writing memoranda and legal pleadings, and attending inspections and inventories of properties.

This agency is approved to host Graduate Fellows.