Who can serve as a Guardian or Conservator?

ORS 125 outlines basic standards for guardians and conservators. Ultimately, the court makes the decision about who will be appointed. Guardians and Conservators may be family members, friends, qualified professionals, non-profit agencies or public programs. In many instances, it is appropriate to have caring family members serve. However, there are a number of situations where that is either not possible or not a good idea. Some people do not have family members. Others may have relatives, but they live in other parts of the country, which makes it difficult or impossible to make the day-to-day decisions required of a fiduciary. Sometimes it is difficult for family members to take the actions necessary to stabilize a complex situation, or doing so would place a family member in the position of making decisions that are unpopular with the protected person. Sometimes it helps preserve good family relationships to allow an independent professional to serve in the professional guardian or conservator role.