This brochure courtesy of Legal Services of Northern Virginia . If you have questions about this material or this subject, we would like to hear from you. Guardianship is a protective legal relationship.
Many people think that guardianship is something that only applies to young, parentless children.
While it is certainly true that many guardianships deal with children who are without parents, guardianships can also involve adults. A person of any age may become incapable of caring for himself or managing his own affairs as a result of illness or accident. As people live longer lives, we also are seeing more elderly persons becoming incapacitated or incompetent by illness or frailties associated with advanced age. These persons may need a guardian. However, advanced age alone is NOT a criteria for needing a guardian.