2023 West Virginia Code › Chapter 44A. West Virginia Guardianship and Conservatorship Act › Article 1. Definitions and General Provisions › §44A-1-4. Definitions

As used in this chapter, unless a different meaning is clearly required by the context:
(1) “Conservator” means a person appointed by the court who is responsible for managing the estate and financial affairs of a protected person, and, where the context plainly indicates, the term “conservator” means or includes a “limited conservator” or a “temporary conservator”.
(2) “De facto guardian” means a person who is not the medical power of attorney representative or appointed surrogate and has assumed substantial responsibility for any of the personal affairs of another person later found to be a protected person.
(3) “De facto conservator” means a person who is not the power of attorney representative or appointed surrogate and has assumed substantial responsibility for managing any portion of the estate and financial affairs of another person later found to be a protected person.
(4) “Estate” means real and personal property or any interest in the property and means anything that may be the subject of ownership.
(5) “Guardian” means a person appointed by the court who is responsible for the personal affairs of a protected person, and, where the context plainly indicates, the term “guardian” means or includes a “limited guardian” or a “temporary guardian”.
(6) “Interested person” means:
(A) An individual who is the subject of a guardianship or conservatorship proceeding;
(B) A guardian or conservator of a protected person; and
(C) Any other person with an actual and substantial interest in the proceeding, either generally or as to a particular matter, as distinguished from a person who has only a nominal, formal, or technical interest in or connection with the proceeding.
(7) “Limited conservator” means a person appointed by the court who has only those responsibilities for managing the estate and financial affairs of a protected person, as specified in the order of appointment.
(8) “Limited guardian” means one appointed by the court who has only those responsibilities for the personal affairs of a protected person, as specified in the order of appointment.
(9) “Living will” means a living will existing and duly executed in accordance with the provisions of article thirty, chapter sixteen of this code.
(10) “Medical power of attorney” means a power of attorney existing and duly executed in accordance with the provisions of article thirty, chapter sixteen of this code or existing and executed in accordance with the laws of another state.
(11) “Missing person” means an adult individual, eighteen years of age or older, who is absent from his or her usual place of residence in the state and whose whereabouts are unknown for a period of six months or more.
(12) “Person” means, generally, a natural person, any corporation, association, partnership or other business entity, any political subdivision or other public agency, public official or any estate, trust or other collection of properties to which the law attributes the capacity of having rights or duties.
(13) “Protected person” means an adult individual, eighteen years of age or older, who has been found by a court, because of mental impairment, to be unable to receive and evaluate information effectively or to respond to people, events, and environments to such an extent that the individual lacks the capacity: (A) To meet the essential requirements for his or her health, care, safety, habilitation, or therapeutic needs without the assistance or protection of a guardian; or (B) to manage property or financial affairs or to provide for his or her support or for the support of legal dependents without the assistance or protection of a conservator. A finding that the individual displays poor judgment, alone, is not sufficient evidence that the individual is a protected person within the meaning of this subsection. “Protected person” also means a person whom a court has determined is a missing person.
(14) “Surrogate decisionmaker” means an individual identified as such by an attending physician in accordance with the provisions of article thirty, chapter sixteen of this code.