Guardian

A guardian is appointed by Digital and Population Data Services Agency or a district court.

A person with sufficient knowledge and experience, suitable for the task and willing to accept the task may be appointed as guardian. A child, spouse or another close person of the person in need of support often acts as the guardian.

Also a public guardian who attends to the duties by virtue of office may be appointed to the task.

If the person in need of support and assistance has in advance made a lasting power of attorney, Digital and Population Data Services Agency may confirm that the donee appointed under the lasting power is to attend to his or her affairs instead of a guardian.

All guardians and donees are supervised by the Digital and Population Data Service Agency.

Public guardian

A public guardian employed by a public guardianship office usually acts as the public guardian. In addition to public guardians, a number of guardianship secretaries work at the public guardianship offices.

In some regions, a public guardian employed by a provider of outsourced services may also act as a public guardian. The provider of outsourced services may be a municipality, a city or a private company, such as a law office.

The legal aid and public guardianship districts are responsible for organising the guardianship services. The districts conclude agreements with the service providers, where necessary.

Private guardian

A private person, for example a child, parent or another close person of the person in need of support and assistance, may also act as the guardian, if he or she is willing to accept the task. The person appointed to the task must be suitable for the task and he or she must have sufficient knowledge and experience of the task.

Donee

A person can make advance arrangements for the future attendance to his or her personal affairs by making a lasting power of attorney in case his or her capacity to attend to his or her affairs degrades for example due to an illness or ill health. A lasting power of attorney must be made in writing in the same manner as a will.

In case the person having made the lasting power of attorney, i.e. the donor, is no longer capable of attending to his or her own affairs due to for example an illness, the donee may request the Digital and Population Data Service Agency to confirm the lasting power of attorney. A donee is a person who acts by virtue of a lasting power of attorney confirmed by the Digital and Population Data Service Agency.