Presidential Election 2016: Under Florida Guardianship Law, Can You Lose Your Right To Vote?

In the midst of a presidential election, the right to vote is an important one. However, certain people may find themselves beingdenied at the polls.What is a Florida Guardianship? What rights can the Florida guardianship court take away from me? Can I get my right to vote back if it has been taken away in a guardianship matter? How can a probate attorney West Palm Beach help me? When is a competency hearing necessary?

Florida Guardianship & Loss of Rights

• What is a Florida guardianship?
• It is a probate matter where a court is being asked to take away someone’s rights.
• Obviously, this can be tough and stressful for both the person getting their rights taken away and their friends and family.
• What rights can a guardianship court in Florida take away?
• The right to vote, choose where to live, marry, and contract are just a few of the rights that may be taken from someone who has been deemed incompetent by a probate judge.
• Palm Beach Guardianships are serious business because the probate courts or theFlorida guardianship courts deal with our parents’, and children’s and our friends’ and family members’ most basic human rights and civil liberties.
• On April, 12, 2016, WFTV 9 reported about a 100 year old woman who attempted to vote in the recent Florida primary but couldn’t.

If I am a Ward in Florida, can I vote?

• Here, an elderly woman was assigned a  “plenary guardian”.
• However, she did not realize that her right to vote would be lost.
• What is a plenary guardian?
• A plenary guardian is a guardian appointed by the court to handle all of a person’s matters after the court deems him or her incapacitated.
• What do plenary guardians do?
• They assist with everyday tasks when the person’s family is unwilling or unable to.
• They also have control of the person’s legal rights.
• For example, this senior’s plenary guardian helps her pay her bills and keep her finances in line.
• After being denied at the polls, this senior is angry and determined to petition the courtto regain her right to vote.
• How do you do this?
• Should you hire a Florida guardianship attorney?
• How much money does a guardianship appeal cost?
• How long does the appeal process in guardianship court take?
• How will she prove that she is mentally competent?
• Do all states remove voting rights when someone is appointed a guardian?
• No.

Watch the entire report by clicking here.