U.S. Senate hearings on adult guardianship address right to counsel

The issue of a right to counsel in guardianship cases has not typically drawn a lot of attention, although it continues to be a major issue in a number of states.  However, the U.S. Senate’s Special Committee on Aging held a hearing called “Ensuring Trust: Strengthening State Efforts to Overhaul the Guardianship Process and Protect Older Americans.”  The Committee is chaired by Senators Susan Collins and Bob Casey.  NCCRC partner Barbara Buckley, the ED of Legal Aid Center of Southern Nevada, has done tremendous work to strengthen the right to counsel in Nevada and she testified at the hearing about the importance of counsel in such cases.  Barbara’s testimony was covered by KTNV Las Vegas.  NCCRC participant Karen Buck, the ED of the SeniorLaw Center in Philadelphia, also testified about the need for a right to counsel.