Florida Statutes 744.3145 – Guardian education requirements
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(1) Each ward is entitled to a guardian competent to perform the duties of a guardian necessary to protect the interests of the ward.
(2) Each person appointed by the court to be a guardian, other than a parent who is the guardian of the property of a minor child, must receive a minimum of 8 hours of instruction and training which covers:
(a) The legal duties and responsibilities of the guardian;
Terms Used In Florida Statutes 744.3145
- Assets: (1) The property comprising the estate of a deceased person, or (2) the property in a trust account.
- Chief judge: The judge who has primary responsibility for the administration of a court but also decides cases; chief judges are determined by seniority.
- Court: means the circuit court. See Florida Statutes 744.102
- Estate: means the property of a ward subject to administration. See Florida Statutes 744.102
- Guardian: A person legally empowered and charged with the duty of taking care of and managing the property of another person who because of age, intellect, or health, is incapable of managing his (her) own affairs.
- Guardian: means a person who has been appointed by the court to act on behalf of a ward's person or property, or both. See Florida Statutes 744.102
- Minor: means a person under 18 years of age whose disabilities have not been removed by marriage or otherwise. See Florida Statutes 744.102
- person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
- Property: means both real and personal property or any interest in it and anything that may be the subject of ownership. See Florida Statutes 744.102
- Ward: means a person for whom a guardian has been appointed. See Florida Statutes 744.102
(b) The rights of the ward;
(c) The availability of local resources to aid the ward; and
(d) The preparation of habilitation plans and annual guardianship reports, including financial accounting for the ward’s property.
(3) Each person appointed by the court to be the guardian of the property of his or her minor child must receive a minimum of 4 hours of instruction and training that covers:
(a) The legal duties and responsibilities of the guardian of the property;
(b) The preparation of the initial inventory and annual guardianship accountings for the ward’s property; and
(c) Use of guardianship assets.
(4) Each person appointed by the court to be a guardian must complete the required number of hours of instruction and education within 4 months after his or her appointment as guardian. The instruction and education must be completed through a course approved by the chief judge of the circuit court and taught by a court-approved organization or through a course offered by the Office of Public and Professional Guardians under s. 744.2001. Court-approved organizations may include, but are not limited to, community or junior colleges, guardianship organizations, and the local bar association or The Florida Bar.
(5) Expenses incurred by the guardian to satisfy the education requirement may be paid from the ward’s estate, unless the court directs that such expenses be paid by the guardian individually.
(6) The court may, in its discretion, waive some or all of the requirements of this section or impose additional requirements. The court shall make its decision on a case-by-case basis and, in making its decision, shall consider the experience and education of the guardian, the duties assigned to the guardian, and the needs of the ward.
(7) The provisions of this section do not apply to professional guardians.