The Spears conservatorship has sparked national discussion because of its length – for 13 years, Spears has had no control over her money and little over her life – and her startling court testimony about the highly specific restrictions placed on her.
TRLA attorney Julie Balovich and Gabriel Sanchez, director of TRLA’s LBGTQ+ Civil Rights Program, will discuss issues in the Spears case that are relevant to guardianships. Texas has guardianships, not conservatorships.
They include:
Spears being forced to take certain medications and prevented from making choices such as removing her IUD
The duties and fees billed by an attorney ad litem, who represents the interests of the “ward,” or person who is under a guardianship
A person not knowing his or her rights under a guardianship; Texas has a Ward’s Bill of Rights, for example
The ability to petition a court to close a guardianship
Alternatives to guardianship and other, less restrictive ways to support someone with a disability
Watch on Facebook Live at 1 PM