If you hire an attorney to assist in getting yourself appointed as a guardian of a subject, you are the client. The court may (and in some states always will) appoint a guardian ad litem to represent the best interests of the subject consistent with the law. In some cases the subject may be entitled to have their own attorney to represent their stated interests. If the subject of the proceeding is capable of expressing their wishes cogently they typically should be heard by the probate court but this tends to vary a bit by jurisdiction. The guardian ad litem is key here.
Sounds like you know your way around this world.
Would you say that if the OP's wife wants to protect her mother's finances, she should get the courts involved now?
Maybe move her mom to their state?
It sounds like his wife is still in denial and maybe a bit in shock, from the end of his first post.
But it also sounds like the fraudsters are seriously on the move.
Here's hoping the OP posts more about what part his wife thinks she can play.
Statistics: Posted by PeninsulaPerson — Thu Dec 18, 2025 5:49 am — Replies 57 — Views 4032