A court evaluator is the neutral, independent investigator the court appoints in a Brooklyn adult guardianship case to gather the facts and report back to the judge before any decision is made. In a New York adult guardianship proceeding under Mental Hygiene Law (MHL) Article 81, the court does not simply take the petitioner’s word that someone can no longer
To become guardian of an aging parent in Brooklyn, you file a Verified Petition together with an Order to Show Cause in the Supreme Court, Kings County, asking the court to appoint you as guardian under Article 81 of the New York Mental Hygiene Law (MHL). You must show, by clear and convincing evidence, that your parent can no longer
An Article 81 guardianship in Brooklyn typically costs several thousand dollars and up — most contested or complex cases run well into five figures once you add attorney fees, the court evaluator’s fee, and potential counsel appointed for the alleged incapacitated person. There is no single flat price, because the cost depends on whether the case is contested, how much
If your son or daughter has an intellectual or developmental disability and is approaching or has passed their 18th birthday, you obtain legal authority to continue making decisions for them in Brooklyn by petitioning for SCPA Article 17-A guardianship in the Kings County Surrogate’s Court. When a child turns 18, the law treats them as a legal adult — even
If you are a Brooklyn family trying to protect a loved one who is losing the ability to handle money or personal care, the short answer is this: a power of attorney (POA) is the simpler, less expensive, and less restrictive tool you should use before a crisis — but it only works if your loved one still has the
Most uncontested Article 81 adult guardianship proceedings in Kings County are resolved in roughly three to six months from the day the petition is filed in the Supreme Court, Kings County, to the day the appointed guardian is formally qualified and able to act. Straightforward cases sometimes move faster; contested matters — where a family member or the alleged incapacitated
If you need to care for a child in Brooklyn whose parents cannot, or you need legal authority to manage money or property that belongs to a minor, you petition the Kings County Surrogate’s Court for guardianship of an infant under SCPA Article 17. This is the correct legal route for any person under 18 in Kings County, and it
When a loved one in Brooklyn can no longer manage their own life, the Supreme Court can appoint a guardian to step in — but not every guardian does the same job. A guardian of the person makes decisions about an individual’s personal needs (where they live, their medical care, their day-to-day welfare), while a guardian of the property manages
If a guardianship petition has been filed against you or a loved one in Brooklyn, you have a clear right to contest it — and New York law is squarely on the side of the person whose autonomy is at stake. An alleged incapacitated person (AIP) in a Mental Hygiene Law (MHL) Article 81 proceeding has the right to retain
If a loved one in Brooklyn can no longer manage their own personal or financial affairs, the Article 81 guardianship process lets a court appoint someone to step in — and in Kings County that case is filed in the Supreme Court, not the Surrogate’s Court. Adult incapacity guardianship is governed by New York’s Mental Hygiene Law (MHL) Article 81,
If your loved one in Brooklyn is struggling to manage their finances or personal care, you do not have to start with a full guardianship — and in many cases you should not. New York law actually requires courts to favor the least restrictive intervention, which means there are several alternatives a Brooklyn family should know about before petitioning the