The applicant must list the names and details of all persons known to have an interest in the person that the application is about. A Notice of Hearing, giving details, will be sent to these people by the Board. Anyone with a genuine interest in the person concerned is welcomed to attend the hearing. If anyone is unable to attend they can put their views on the matter in writing to the Board, and this information will be made available to others at the hearing. Guardianship Board members have a wide range of experience relevant to people who have mental incapacity.
Hearings are less formal than a normal court and people use fairly straightforward language.
Some cases are heard by a single Board member while other cases are conducted by three member Boards. Evidence is not generally taken under oath. The Board members wear ordinary clothes and sit at a large table with everyone else on the other side. Those attending are encouraged to express their views regarding the application. The Board wants to hear what the person with the incapacity thinks about the application and their situation generally.