Equitable Guardianship Reform

Guardianship is a legal relationship that is created when the court gives a person, the guardian, the power to make personal and financial decisions for another person. Guardianship can strip an older adult of their autonomy and should be a mechanism of last resort. Older adults do not experience the guardianship system equitably: older adults of color, LGBTQ+ older adults, and those with other marginalized identities face systemic discrimination that may increase their likelihood of guardianship, and biases embedded into the guardianship system exacerbate existing disparities. This series of four issue briefs examines various aspects of the guardianship system and offers recommendations to reform the system to promote equity in aging.