SJLS Guardianship Project For Children
(800) 496-4570
Camden
What is the Guardianship Project?
The Guardianship Project was started as a solution to a pervasive problem facing many parents who have children with disabilities. This Project is a collaborative effort between South Jersey Legal Services, Inc. (SJLS) and private, volunteer attorneys in our nine county service area. Typically, parents with a disabled child are confronted with the possibility of guardianship as their child approaches the age of 18. Once a child turns 18 years of age, parents no longer have the ability to make decisions and they are often forced to file for guardianship. This process can be a significant expense to most parents, who already have substantial expenses associated with the child. In this Project, volunteer attorneys assist low-income parents to obtain guardianships over their children who soon will reach the age of 18.
For Parents:If you feel you are eligible to participate in The SJLS Guardianship Project For Children and live in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Monmouth, Ocean or Salem counties, you may contact the Centralized Intake Unit of South Jersey Legal Services, Inc. at (800) 496-4570 to be screened for eligibility during the intake hours of Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 4:00 pm. Please note that you should call intake approximately four (4) months prior to your child’s 18th birthday. At the initial review, we will decide if you are financially eligible. An intake staff member will obtain information about your income, family size, assets and the matter for which you are seeking help. All information you provide SJLS remains confidential. If you are financially eligible, we then decide whether your case is one for which we can provide representation based on our established priorities. If the case is one which we cannot handle, we will attempt to refer you to an organization which will provide assistance. If your case is one that we usually handle, but because of limited resources we are unable to handle at present, we will try to find other legal representation for you. What is Guardianship? A guardianship is a legal tool that allows one person (the “guardian”) to make decisions for another person (the incapacitated person or “ward”). In New Jersey, when a child reaches the age of 18, his or her parents can no longer make decisions legally on behalf of the child. This applies even to children who have disabilities. Does your child need Guardianship?
If your child is unable to act on his or her own behalf and will not be able to do so once he or she reaches the age of 18, you may ask a New Jersey court to grant you legal guardianship over your child. Are there different types of Guardianship?
- Limited Guardianship - when some but not all decisions involving education, medical treatment, financial matters must be made for an incapacitated person.
- General Guardianship - when an incapacitated person is incapable of making any decisions on his or her own.
- This Project will only seek to obtain General Guardianships over alleged incapacitated persons.
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Last Updated: 09/10/24
South Jersey Legal Services
South Jersey Legal Services, Inc. (SJLS) is a non-profit organization created to provide quality legal representation and advocacy to low-income individuals in Atlantic, Burlington, Camden, Cape May, Cumberland, Gloucester, Monmouth, Ocean, and Salem Counties.