Guardianships of the Estate

The Washington State Supreme Court has licensed Stephen Trefts to be a professional guardian of the incapacitated person's estate.  We work directly with the guardian of the person to provide the incapacitated person with quality medical care and housing.  This often involves hiring and monitoring care givers.  If this becomes impractical, we will work with the person's family and the court to place the person in a care facility.

The duties for the guardian of the estate are similar to those of a trustee, including:

• Meet with the incapacitated person and the caregivers to ascertain the needs of the individual in order to begin providing financial support and to create written investment objectives,
• Retain an investment consultant (usually the individual's investment advisor) to review proper asset allocation and investments to meet the investment objective,
• Approve and monitor all investments,
• Manage farms, commercial property, and other real estate,
• Hold title to all assets and safeguard them (insurance, inspections, etc.),
• Pay all bills and receive all deposits,
• Calendar and track all guardianship events,
• Periodically visit with the individual and provide supervision of personal caregivers if necessary,
• Complete the tax returns,
• Report at least annually to the court on all financial matters and seek the court's approval for all of the guardian's activities on behalf of the individual.

The Guardianship

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Ralph served in the military for years before he recently became disabled.  The Veterans Administration awarded him money, but the courts determined that the funds must be distributed through a guardianship of the estate.   Our firm now pays all of his bills and living expenses.  We purchased the home in which he was renting prior to the guardianship and then hired a contractor to make major repairs.  The VA sends us Ralph's monthly disability payments.  We continue to report both to the VA and the Washington State Superior Courts on a regular basis.