Guardianship Reform

This issue brief from Justice in Aging discusses the deficit in data regarding guardianship in the United States and the problems that has created for reform efforts in the guardianship system. The brief addresses the need for data to understand who is under guardianship, why they are under guardianship, and the risks marginalized older adults face but are not reported. The issue brief includes current data reform efforts recommendations to advance equity in guardianship.

The Commission on Law and Aging of the American Bar Association recently released a briefing paper discussing project findings and conclusions about Working Interdisciplinary Networks of Guardianship Stakeholders (WINGS). This briefing paper describes challenges of adult guardianship reform and the rationale for establishing WINGS, discusses the potential for applying a nation Court Improvement Program model to the adult guardianship system, and provides federal policy recommendations.