Where do you pay guardian fees from? What if there’s not enough money ?? An August 17, 2022 opinion reveals that an emergency temporary guardian may not use the Ward’s IRA to pay her fees and compensation. We have previously written about Florida Guardian Compensation before. Now, let’s consider the legal “tension” between two statutes. Guardian Compensation First of all, if you want to read about Florida guardianships, read the Florida Guardianship Code. Chapter 744 Florida Statutes. You can also read the Florida Probate Rules, which has rules for guardianships. They start at Part III, with Fla. Prob. R. 5.540. There are a number of cases about compensation and fees for THE LAWYER of a Florida Guardian. And there are different cases and opinions for Guardians (e.g. limited or plenary) vs. Emergency Temporary Guardians. For the statute of guardian fees, check out 744.108. But, what if the ward dies ? How does the guardian get paid? ETG Can’t Get to Ward’s IRAs if Family Fights The 1st District Court of Appeal issued an opinion on August 17, 2022. This opinion dealt with guardian fees. Specifically, whether the guardian could get paid from the Ward’s IRAs. No! (Absent family members permitting that. Or, I should say, absent the IRA beneficiary agreeing to that). You can read this Florida Emergency Temporary Guardian case. The name is Araguel v. Bryan. Family members wanted to get a guardianship over mom. The court did not appoint a family member. The probate court appointed a professional […]