Guardianship is a legal way to appoint a person (a ‘guardian’) to act in certain personal or financial matters for an adult who has impaired decision-making capacity and needs someone to help them with decisions.
Anyone aged 18 or over can apply for a guardianship order for an adult family member, friend or client who has impaired decision-making capacity and has difficulty making personal or financial decisions.
An adult who is worried about their own capacity to make decisions in some areas, and thinks they need a guardian, can also make an application for themselves.
The guardianship principles are a set of decision-making principles that all guardians must follow. They state that a guardian must always: