Guardianship

Effective January 1, 2023, and pursuant to 2021 WI Act 97, (§54.15(8)(a)(2m), Wis. Stats.), there are new requirements for proposed guardians of adults.

The training requirement applies to all new petitions for guardianship filed as of January 1, 2023, as well as petitions to appoint a standby or successor guardian filed on or after January 1, 2023.  It does not apply to corporate guardians or guardians of minor children under the age of 18.  For volunteers or family members who anticipate serving as guardian for more than one ward, the training must only be completed once.

UW-Green Bay has produced a statewide self-paced curriculum that will be available 24/7 online. The training website is now available here: https://www.uwgb.edu/guardianship-training/.  While the training is intended for new guardians, it is available to anyone who would like to take it.

For guardianship of the person, training topics will include:

• The duties and required responsibilities of a guardian under the law and limits of a guardian's decision-making authority.
• Alternatives to guardianship, including supported decision-making agreements and powers of attorney.
• Rights retained by a ward.
• Best practices for a guardian to solicit and understand the wishes and preferences of a ward, involving a ward in decision making, and taking a ward's wishes and preferences into account in decisions made by the guardian.
• Restoration of a ward's rights and the process for removal of guardianship.
• Future planning and identification of a potential standby or successor guardian.
• Resources and technical support for guardians.

For guardians of the estate, topics will include inventory and accounting requirements in addition to the duties and responsibilities of a guardian and limits of decision-making authority.

All proposed guardians are required to file a sworn statement 96 hours before the permanent guardianship hearing, confirming that the training has been completed.