Arizona's Probate Courts need better-trained judges and a better way to monitor the costs and care of people who can't manage their own money or affairs because of advanced age or illness.
These are among the dozen initial recommendations by an Arizona Supreme Court committee assigned to help improve the way Probate Courts in each county care for stricken adults and children.
But the committee's toughest assignment still lies ahead: Find specific ways to stop fees charged by attorneys and for-profit fiduciaries, who manage their financial affairs and health care, from draining much or all of the life savings of an incapacitated person, or ward.
An Arizona Republic investigation, which began with a series of columns, found that Probate Court judges can fail to step in and stop the hemorrhaging of a ward's assets through fees. The cases often involve court-appointed private fiduciaries and various attorneys whose charges soar because of legal fights spurred by family disputes.
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Maricopa County Probate Court - Panel Makes Suggestions to Rein in Fees
It's hard to rein in fees because the tricksters are professional tricksters and they'll find a way to bend any rule.
ReplyDeleteThe real answer is monitoring and oversight -- which hasn't been done for 20-30 years!
They should have asked me for a recommendation. But, I'll offer it anyway.
ReplyDeleteMAKE GUARDIANSHIP ABUSE (the bleeding of estates for the benefit of the fiduciaries) A CRIME.
It is a crime, you know. The reason it's not properly labeled as such is the participants in these crimes are often lawyers and judges.
I am glad to see Arizona in the news so much. The victims there are working hard to get the corruption exposed.
ReplyDelete