Guardianship is a highly important job. It requires dedication and knowledge of what is expected. On Monday, Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine praised a new law that will put the Ohio Attorney General’s Ohio Guardianship Guide into the hands of all guardians overseeing adult and minor wards in the state.

House Bill 50, which was approved by the Ohio General Assembly last month, was signed into law by Governor John Kasich.

The law requires clerks of Ohio’s probate courts to give new and current guardians a copy of the guardianship guide, which was created by DeWine in 2014 to reduce confusion surrounding guardianship in Ohio so that individuals are better equipped to serve as guardians or protect relatives under guardianship.

A guardian is appointed by a probate court to manage and care for the affairs of a minor or incompetent adult, who is called a ward. The guardian can be a person and, under certain limited circumstances, an association or corporation.

“The role of a guardian is very complex, which is why we created the Ohio Guardianship Guide. Those placed in guardianship are especially vulnerable and deserve quality care, and this manual helps guardians fully understand their roles and responsibilities,” DeWine said. “Thanks to House Bill 50, all guardians will receive a copy of this guide in an effort to help protect Ohio’s families.”

The bill, which was sponsored by Rep. Dorothy Pelanda (R-Marysville) and Rep. Cheryl Grossman (R-Grove City), also raises the maximum age for foster care and adoption assistance to age 21.

It reads – “The clerk of the probate court shall furnish a guardianship guide, prepared either by the attorney general with the approval of the Ohio judicial conference or by the Ohio Judicial Conference under division (B) of this section, to a guardian at either of the following times, whichever is applicable: Upon the appointment of the guardian under section 2111.02 of the Revised Code or if the guardian was appointed prior to the effective date of this section, upon the first filing by the guardian with the probate court of either of the following, as applicable, after that effective date:

(a) A guardian’s account, other than a final account, that is required to be filed under section

2109.302 of the Revised Code;

(b) A guardian’s report that is required to be filed under section 2111.49 of the Revised Code.

A copy of the Ohio Guardianship Guide can be found on the Ohio Attorney General’s website.