Guardianship Can Help Families Stabilize

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A guardianship establishes a legal relationship between a person and a caregiver. People are often familiar with guardianships in one of three ways:

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• Taking responsibility for a child

• Giving legal authority to a caregiver for a disabled adult

• Establishing legal power for a caregiver over a vulnerable adult like the elderly

 

But, guardianship has nuances and serves many purposes. If you are looking into guardianship options for your family, email us to find out more. You can also speak with our attorney for free. Call Pinnacle Family Law in Novi, Michigan, and speak with our attorneys: 248-305-6484.

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How Are Adoption And Guardianship Of Children Different?

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Adoption and guardianship offer children and parents two similar paths to permanency. Both options provide permanent caregivers with many of the same legal rights as birth parents. However, adoption is a lifetime relationship that gives the child all of the legal benefits of a child born into the family. While guardianship builds family relationships that can last a lifetime, the legal relationship established by a juvenile court ends when the child turns 18 and is considered an adult. This is one reason why adoption is considered to be a more permanent lifetime commitment than guardianship.

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Another important difference between these two permanency options concerns the birth parents' rights. For a child to be adopted, the rights of the birth parents must be legally terminated or voluntarily surrendered, or the birth parents must have to sign a consent to the adoption. With guardianship, the birth parents' rights do not have to be legally terminated.

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With both adoption and guardianship, the permanent caregivers should realize that the child's birth parents and siblings may continue to be an important part of the child's life. Depending on the best interests of the child, birth family connections can be maintained with ongoing contacts after an adoption or guardianship.

 

Let Us Guide You

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Our firm has years of practice working in complicated family law areas. Our lawyers can help you determine if guardianship will fulfill your goals and protect your loved ones appropriately. Stabilize your family in a way that works for you. Call 248-305-6484 to set up a meeting for free.

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