Checklist: Should You Consider a Legal Guardianship for Your Child with Special Needs?

As a young adult with special needs approaches age 18, his or her parents will need to decide whether to pursue a legal Guardianship with the Virginia courts for the right to manage the child’s personal and medical affairs.

If a Guardianship is ultimately granted, the child will lose his or her personal autonomy and the ability to make independent decisions for themselves.  For the majority of adults with special needs, this is a non-issue, as they depend on their parents to oversee every aspect...