(A)

(1) Subject to division (A)(3) of this section, the guardian of an incompetent person shall file a guardian's report with the court two years after the date of the issuance of the guardian's letters of appointment and biennially after that time, or at any other time upon the motion or a rule of the probate court. The report shall be in a form prescribed by the court and shall include all of the following.

(a) The present address of the place of residence of the ward;

(b) The present address of the guardian;

(c) If the place of residence of the ward is not the ward's personal home, the name of the facility at which the ward resides and the name of the person responsible for the ward's care;

(d) The approximate number of times during the period covered by the report that the guardian has had contact with the ward, the nature of those contacts, and the date that the ward was last seen by the guardian;

(e) Any major changes in the physical or mental condition of the ward observed by the guardian;

(f) The opinion of the guardian as to the necessity for the continuation of the guardianship;

(g) The opinion of the guardian as to the adequacy of the present care of the ward;

(h) The date that the ward was last examined or otherwise seen by a physician and the purpose of that visit;

(i) A statement by a licensed physician, licensed clinical psychologist, licensed independent social worker, licensed professional clinical counselor, or developmental disability team that has evaluated or examined the ward within three months prior to the date of the report as to the need for continuing the guardianship.

(2) The court shall review a report filed pursuant to division (A)(1) of this section to determine if a continued necessity for the guardianship exists. The court may direct a probate court investigator to verify aspects of the report.

(3) Division (A)(1) of this section applies to guardians appointed prior to, as well as on or after, the effective date of this section. A guardian appointed prior to that date shall file the first report in accordance with any applicable court rule or motion, or, in the absence of such a rule or motion, upon the next occurring date on which a report would have been due if division (A)(1) of this section had been in effect on the date of appointment as guardian, and shall file all subsequently due reports biennially after that time.

(B) If, upon review of any report required by division (A)(1) of this section, the court finds that it is necessary to intervene in a guardianship, the court shall take any action that it determines is necessary, including, but not limited to, terminating or modifying the guardianship.

(C) Except as provided in this division, for any guardianship, upon written request by the ward, the ward's attorney, or any other interested party made at any time after the expiration of one hundred twenty days from the date of the original appointment of the guardian, a hearing shall be held in accordance with section 2111.02 of the Revised Code to evaluate the continued necessity of the guardianship. Upon written request, the court shall conduct a minimum of one hearing under this division in the calendar year in which the guardian was appointed, and upon written request, shall conduct a minimum of one hearing in each of the following calendar years. Upon its own motion or upon written request, the court may, in its discretion, conduct a hearing within the first one hundred twenty days after appointment of the guardian or conduct more than one hearing in a calendar year. If the ward alleges competence, the burden of proving incompetence shall be upon the applicant for guardianship or the guardian, by clear and convincing evidence.

Amended by 131st General Assembly File No. TBD, HB 158, §1, eff. 10/12/2016.

Effective Date: 03-18-1997 .