clarkhoward.com: Clarchives clarkhoward - Clarchives November 14, 2005

clarkhoward.com: Clarchives clarkhoward - Clarchives November 14, 2005: "Crooks get guardianship of your parents
The Los Angeles Times has been working on a series of stories about a new scam targeting the elderly that will shock you. Crooks have figured out that they can easily assume guardianship of aging people simply by telling a judge that they are no longer mentally stable. These people don't have to prove they are related, so they basically seek out elderly folks who are losing faculty and then go to court seeking guardianship. Family members have no idea that it's happening and have no recourse if it happens. Busy courts and judges don’t have time to make sure these crooks are above board, and there is no requirement to do so. So when the scamsters go to court seeking a ruling, it happens quickly and the victims don’t even know it happens. Clark doesn’t know how these people get leads on their victims. But it’s up to children of aging parents to look out for them and make sure they are not being victimized. It’s easy to steal the money and very hard to get it back. Several legal forms can protect them, as well. First is the “Durable Power of Attorney for Health Care,” which allows someone to handle your health care issues if you cannot speak or act on your own behalf. These are sometimes available for free. The other edict is a regular “Durable Power of Attorney,” which is a bit more difficult to get and requires the help of an attorney. It allows the appointed person to take care of someone’s finances, which would make it impossible for these crooks to step in and steal your parents’ assets. Having both of these in place is a great idea to ensure your parents are "