Happy family

Find a legal form in minutes

Browse US Legal Forms’ largest database of 85k state and industry-specific legal forms.

Illinois Designation of Standby Guardian Law

Power of Attorney and Health Care – General – Illinois

States, is not of unsound mind, is not an  adjudged  disabled person  as  defined in this Act, has not been convicted of a felony, and who the court finds is capable  of  providing  an active  and  suitable program of guardianship for the minor is qualified to act as guardian of the  person  and as guardian of the estate. One person may be appointed guardian of the person and another  person  appointed guardian  of  the estate.

(b)  The  Department of Human Services or the Department of Children and Family Services may with the approval of the court designate one of its employees to serve without fees as guardian of the estate of a minor patient  in a State mental hospital or a resident in a State institution when the value of the personal estate does not exceed $1,000.

Section 755 ILCS 5/11-5:
(a)  Upon the filing of a petition for the appointment of a guardian or on its own motion, the court may appoint a guardian of the estate  or of  both the person and estate, of a minor, or may appoint a guardian of the person only of a minor or minors, as the court finds to  be  in  the best interest of the minor or minors.

(a-1)  A  parent,  adoptive  parent  or  adjudicated  parent,whose parental  rights have not been terminated, may designate in any writing, including a will, a person qualified to act under  Section  11-3  to  be appointed  as guardian of the person or estate, or both, of an unmarried minor or of a child likely to be born.  A  parent,  adoptive  parent  or adjudicated parent, whose parental rights have not been terminated, or a guardian  or  a  standby  guardian  of  an unmarried minor or of a child likely to be born may designate in any  writing,  including  a  will,  a person  qualified to act under Section 11-3 to be appointed as successor guardian of the minor’s person or estate, or both.  The designation must be witnessed by 2 or more credible witnesses at least 18 years  of  age,neither  of  whom  is  the  person  designated  as  the  guardian.   The designation may be proved by any competent evidence.  If the designation is  executed  and  attested  in the same manner as a will, it shall have prima facie  validity.  The  designation  of  a  guardian  or  successor guardian does not affect the rights of the other parent in the minor.

(b)  The  court  lacks jurisdiction to proceed on a petition for the appointment of a guardian of a minor if  (i)  the  minor  has  a  living parent,  adoptive  parent  or  adjudicated parent, whose parental rights have not been terminated,  whose  whereabouts  are  known,  and  who  is willing  and  able to make and carry out day-to-day child care decisions concerning the minor, unless  the  parent  or  parents  consent  to  the appointment  or,  after  receiving  notice  of the hearing under Section 11-10.1, fail to object  to  the  appointment  at  the  hearing  on  the petition  or (ii) there is a guardian for the minor appointed by a court of competent jurisdiction.  There shall be a rebuttable presumption that a parent of a minor is willing and able to make and carry out day-to-day child care decisions concerning the minor, but the  presumption  may  be rebutted by a preponderance of the evidence.

(b-1)  If the court finds the appointment of a guardian of the minor to  be  in the best interest of the minor, and if a standby guardian has previously been appointed for the minor under Section 11-5.3, the  court shall  appoint  the  standby  guardian  as the guardian of the person or estate, or both, of the minor unless the court finds,  upon  good  cause shown,  that  the appointment would no longer be in the best interest of the minor.

(c)  If the minor is 14 years of age or more, the minor may nominate the guardian of the minor’s person and estate, subject  to  approval  of the  court.  If  the minor’s nominee is not approved by the court or if, after notice to the minor, the minor fails to nominate a guardian of the minor’s person or estate, the court may  appoint  the  guardian  without nomination.

(d)  The  court  shall  not appoint as guardian of the person of the minor  any  person  whom  the  court  has  determined  had  caused  or substantially  contributed  to  the minor becoming a neglected or abused minor as defined in the Juvenile Court Act of 1987 unless 2  years  have elapsed since the last proven incident of abuse or neglect and the court determines  that  appointment  of such person as guardian is in the best interests of the minor.

(e)  Previous  statements  made  by  the  minor  relating  to any allegations  that  the  minor is an abused or neglected child within the meaning of the Abused and Neglected Child Reporting Act, or an abused or neglected minor within the meaning of the Juvenile Court  Act  of  1987, shall be admissible in evidence in a hearing concerning appointment of a guardian  of  the  person  or  estate  of the minor.  No such statement, however, if uncorroborated and not subject to  cross-examination,  shall be sufficient in itself to support a finding of abuse or neglect.

Section 755 ILCS 5/11-5.3:
(a)  A parent, adoptive parent, or adjudicated parent whose parental rights have not been terminated, or the guardian  of  the  person  of a minor may designate in any writing, including a will, a person qualified to  act  under  Section  11-3 to be appointed as standby guardian of the person or estate, or both, of an unmarried minor or of a child likely to be born. A parent,  adoptive  parent,  or  adjudicated  parent  whose parental  rights have not been terminated, or the guardian of the person of a minor or a standby guardian of an unmarried minor  or  of  a  child likely  to  be  born  may  designate in any writing, including a will, a person qualified to act under Section 11-3 to be appointed as  successor standby  guardian  of  the  minor’s  person  or  estate,  or  both.  The designation  must  be witnessed by 2 or more credible witnesses at least 18 years of age, neither of whom is the person designated as the standby guardian. The designation may be proved by any competent  evidence. If the designation  is executed and attested in the same manner as a will, it shall have  prima  facie  validity.  The  designation  of  a  standby guardian or successor standby guardian does not affect the rights of the other parent in the minor.

(b)  Upon  the filing of a petition for the appointment of a standby guardian, the court may appoint a standby  guardian  of  the  person  or estate,  or  both,  of  a  minor  as  the  court finds to be in the best interest of the minor.

(c)  The court lacks jurisdiction to proceed on a petition  for  the appointment  of  a standby guardian of a minor if the minor has a living parent, adoptive parent or adjudicated  parent,  whose  parental  rights have  not  been  terminated,  whose  whereabouts  are  known, and who is willing and able to make and carry out day-to-day child  care  decisions concerning  the  minor,  unless  the  parent  or  parents consent to the appointment or, after receiving notice  of  the  hearing  under  Section 11-10.1,  fail  to  object  to  the  appointment  at  the hearing on the petition.  There shall be a rebuttable presumption that a  parent  of  a minor  is  willing  and able to make and carry out day-to-day child care decisions concerning the minor, but the presumption may be rebutted by a preponderance of the evidence.

(d)  The standby guardian shall take and file an oath or affirmation that the standby guardian will faithfully discharge the  duties  of  the office of standby guardian according to law, and shall file in and have approved by the court a bond binding the standby guardian so to do, but shall not be required to file a bond until the standby guardian assumes all duties as guardian of the minor under Section 11-13.1.

(e)  The designation of a standby guardian may, but need not, be  in the following form:

DESIGNATION OF STANDBY GUARDIAN

[IT IS IMPORTANT TO READ THE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS:]

[A standby guardian is someone who has been appointed by the court as the  person  who  will  act  as  guardian  of the child when the child’s parents or the guardian of the person of the child die or are no  longer willing  or  able  to make and carry out day-to-day child care decisions concerning the child. By properly completing this form, a parent or  the guardian of the person of the child is naming the person that the parent or  the  guardian  wants  to be appointed as the standby guardian of the child or children. Both parents of a child may join together and co-sign this form. Signing the form does not appoint the standby guardian; to be appointed, a petition must be filed in and approved by the court.]

1. I,  (insert  name  of designating  parent  or  guardian),  currently  residing  at (insert address of designating parent or guardian),  am  a  parent  (or  the guardian  of the person) of the following child or children (or of a child likely to be born):  (insert name and date of  birth  of  each child,  or  insert  the  words “not yet born” to designate a standby guardian for a child likely to be born and the child’s expected date of birth).

2. I hereby designate the following  person to be appointed as standby guardian for the child or children listed above (insert name and address of person designated).

3. If the person named in item 2 above cannot or will not act as standby guardian,  I  designate the following  person  to be appointed as successor standby guardian for the child  or  children:  (insert  name  and  address of   person designated).

4. This designation is made this (insert day) day of (insert month and year).

Signed:  (designating parent or guardian)

5. I saw the parent (or the guardian of the person of the child) sign this designation or the parent (or  the  guardian of  the  person  of  the child) told me that (he or she) signed this designation. Then I signed the  designation  as  a witness  in  the presence  of  the  parent  (or the guardian). I am not designated in this instrument to act as  a  standby  guardian  for  the  child  or children. (insert  space for names, addresses, and signatures of 2 witnesses).

Section 755 ILCS 5/11-5.4:
(a)  A parent, adoptive parent, or adjudicated parent whose parental rights have not been terminated, or the guardian  of  the  person  of  a minor  may  appoint  in  writing,  without  court approval, a short-term guardian of an unmarried minor or  a  child  likely  to  be  born. The written  instrument  appointing a short-term guardian shall be dated and shall identify the appointing parent or guardian,  the  minor,  and  the person  appointed to be the short-term guardian.  The written instrument shall be signed by, or at the direction of, the appointing parent in the presence of at least 2 credible witnesses at  least  18  years  of  age, neither of whom is the person appointed as the short-term guardian.  The person  appointed as the short-term guardian shall also sign the written instrument, but need not sign at the same time as the appointing parent.

(b)  A parent or guardian shall not appoint a short-term guardian of a minor if the minor has  another  living  parent,  adoptive  parent  or adjudicated  parent,  whose  parental  rights  have not been terminated, whose whereabouts are known, and who is willing and  able  to  make  and carry  out  day-to-day child care decisions concerning the minor, unless the nonappointing parent consents to  the  appointment  by  signing  the written instrument of appointment.

(c)  The   appointment  of  the  short-term  guardian  is  effective immediately upon the date the written instrument is executed, unless the written instrument provides for the appointment to become effective upon a later specified date or event.  The  short-term  guardian  shall  have authority to act as guardian of the minor as provided in Section 11-13.2 for  a  period  of  60  days from the date the appointment is effective, unless the written instrument provides for the appointment to  terminate upon  an  earlier  specified  date or event. Only one written instrument appointing a short-term guardian may be in force at any given time.

(d)  Every appointment of a short-term guardian may  be  amended  or revoked  by  the  appointing parent or by the appointing guardian of the person of the minor at any time and in any manner  communicated  to  the short-term  guardian  or to any other person.  Any person other than the short-term guardian to whom a revocation or amendment is communicated or delivered shall make all reasonable efforts  to  inform  the  short-term guardian of that fact as promptly as possible.

(e)  The   appointment of   a  short-term  guardian  or  successor short-term guardian does not affect the rights of the  other  parent  in the minor.

Section 755 ILCS 5/11-6:
If the minor is a resident of  this  State,  the proceeding  shall  be  instituted in the court of the county in which he resides.  If the minor is not a resident of this State,  the  proceeding shall be instituted  in  the  court  of  a county in which his real or personal estate is located.

Note: All Information and Previews are subject to the Disclaimer located on the main forms   page, and also linked at the bottom of all search results.


Inside Illinois Designation of Standby Guardian Law