Medfield, MA asked in Civil Rights, Estate Planning, Family Law and Elder Law for Rhode Island

Q: A friend of mine would like to change her guardian, who just sold her house and car without asking her. Can she change?

My friend feels financially exploited by her daughter, who is also her legal guardian. This daughter sold my friend's house and car without asking her permission or discussing it with her in any way. She also had her committed to a mental health hospital, but the hospital released her after a few days because they found nothing psychologically wrong with her. The daughter also moved her from Weston where she has lived most of her life to an assisted living nursing home in Rhode Island, where the daughter lives. The daughter has taken all her credit cards and check books, and she will not allow her friends to take her out of the facility. For example, she refused to give me and my mother our friend's phone number in the nursing home so that we would not be able to get in touch with her and she could sell the house without any intervention. We found it through the Greek Orthodox Church. We have known the family for fifty years, and the mother and daughter baptized my son.

1 Lawyer Answer
Neville Bedford
Neville Bedford
Answered
  • PROVIDENCE, RI
  • Licensed in Rhode Island

A: Your friend would do well to meet with an attorney practicing probate and guardian law.

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