Office of the Public Guardian
Who, What, When, Where, How,
Why
• Guardian of last resort of disabled adults with
estates greater than $25,000
• Attorney and guardian ad litem of children in
cases in the child protection division
• Child’s representative in domestic relations/
parentage
• Other cool stuff
Former Cook County Public Guardians
Mary Bartelme
Patrick T. Murphy
Robert F. Harris
Public Guradian
• Juvenile Court
• 69 W Washington
• mental deterioration or physical
incapacity/not fully able to manage
person or estate, or
• mental illness or developmental
disability /not fully able to manage
his or her person or estate,or
•
gambling, idleness, debauchery or
excessive use of intoxicants/ so
spends or wastes his or her
estate/expose person with disability
or dependents to want or suffering
• diagnosed with FAS
• 755 ILCS 5/11a-2
Disabled Adults
• Public Guardian
▫ Guardian of last resort for
disabled adults with
estates greater than
$25,000
▫ State guardian handles
those with estates with less
than $25, 000
▫ 755 ILCS 13-5
▫ 20 ILCS 3955/30
Some numbers
• 800 wards
• 80 intake investigations per month/33% involve
financial exploitation-recovered $33 million in 8
years
▫ 70% over the age of 65
▫ 49% dementia, Alzheimer 's disease or other mental
(organic) degenerative disease
▫ 31% severe mental illness
▫ 12% developmental disabilities
▫ 3% traumatic brain injury;
▫ 6% stroke-related brain damage, multiple sclerosis,
brain tumor, Asperger syndrome, cerebral palsy, and
other disabling conditions
Domestic Relations
• Attorney
• GAL
• Child’s Rep
• Intake:
▫ One party represented by
counsel
▫ Mediation failed
▫ Cook County
▫ 750 ILCS 5/506
Appeals/Impact
Juvenile
• Appointed attorney and
guardian ad litem in almost all
abuse, neglect dependant cases
in Cook County-over 6000
cases
• Guardian ad litem in some
delinquency cases-around 30
▫ 705 ILCS 405/1-5;2-17;5-610
Decision making
• Know your role
• Know your client and the situation
• Know the law
• NACC Recommendations
• ABA Standards
• Illinois Supreme Court Rule 900 et seq
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Carol Casey
Attorney supervisor
Juvenile Division
312-433-5124
carol.casey@cookcountyil.gov
• publicguardian.org