15-5-304. FINDINGS — ORDER OF APPOINTMENT. (a) The court shall exercise the authority conferred in this part so as to encourage the development of maximum self-reliance and independence of the incapacitated person and make appointive and other orders only to the extent necessitated by the incapacitated person’s actual mental and adaptive limitations or other conditions warranting the procedure.

(b) The court may appoint a guardian as requested if it is satisfied that the person for whom a guardian is sought is incapacitated and that the appointment is necessary or desirable as a means of providing continuing care and supervision of the incapacitated person. The court, on appropriate findings, may:

(1) Treat the petition as one for a protective order under section 15-5-401, Idaho Code, and proceed accordingly;

(2) Enter any other appropriate order; or

(3) Dismiss the proceedings.

(c) (1) As an alternative to appointing one (1) guardian for an incapacitated person, the court may appoint no more than two (2) persons as co-guardians for the incapacitated person if the court finds:

(i) The appointment of co-guardians will best serve the interests of the incapacitated person; and

(ii) The persons to be appointed as co-guardians will work together cooperatively to serve the best interests of the incapacitated person.

(2) The parents of an incapacitated person shall have preference over all other persons for appointment as co-guardians, unless the court finds that the parents are unwilling to serve as co-guardians, or are not capable of adequately serving the best interests of the incapacitated person.

(3) If the court appoints co-guardians, the court shall also determine whether the guardians:

(i) May act independently;

(ii) May act independently but must act jointly in specified matters; or

(iii) Must act jointly.

This determination by the court must be stated in the order of appointment and in the letters of guardianship.

(d) The court may, at the time of appointment or later, on its own motion or on appropriate petition or motion of the incapacitated person or other interested person, limit the powers of a guardian otherwise conferred by this section and thereby create a limited guardianship. Any limitations on the statutory power of a guardian of an incapacitated person shall be endorsed on the guardian’s letters, or in the case of a guardian by testamentary appointment, shall be reflected in letters that shall be issued at the time any limitation is imposed. Following the same procedure, a limitation may be removed and appropriate letters issued.

History:

[15-5-304, added 1971, ch. 111, sec. 1, p. 233; am. 1982, ch. 285, sec. 4, p. 724; am. 2017, ch. 261, sec. 3, p. 646.]