In his State of the Judiciary address to the State Legislature on
March 6, 2013, Chief Justice Jefferson Wallace gave a “call to arms” and
addressed growing concerns related to guardianship. He stated, “The
population over age 65 in this state will increase
by almost 50% by 2020 and will more than double by 2040.
Many of those individuals will need help managing their affairs – some through
the appointment of a guardian. But Texas currently has only 368 state-certified
guardians who handle only 5,000 of the 40,000 pending guardianships. Families,
friends, and attorneys serve as guardians in the remaining cases. Only ten of
our 254 counties have probate courts with resources to adequately prevent
abuse. An exploding elderly population will stress the guardianship system. We
must begin to address these issues and prepare.”
On Friday, June 14th at
the City of Lubbock Civic Center in downtown Lubbock (www.LubbockMap.com),
the Office of Dispute Resolution, a department of Lubbock County, will present
a full-day Guardianship Symposium. This informative symposium will
provide County Judges, County Clerks, attorneys, guardians, social workers and
service providers with practical information about guardianship in Texas.
The cost is only $50 until May 15th the extended
deadline of May 24th! For groups of 3 or
more (join the County Judge and judge’s staff), the cost remains $50
per person until June 1st!
Key Information
· Friday, June 14th from 8:30 am to 4:30 pm
· Early Bird Rate ($50) Ends: extended
to May 24th!
· Group Rate ($50/person) ends: June
1st (bring your staff)
· 7.0 Hours of County Judge & County Clerk continuing education
credit including 1.0 hours of ethics (and
legislative updates) (Texas Association of Counties)
Don’t
miss this incredible opportunity to learn
from statutory probate judges, attorneys and other professionals about guidelines and best
practices for guardianship matters. Speakers include The Honorable
Eduardo Gamboa, El Paso Statutory Probate Court No. 2, The Honorable
Brenda Hull Thompson, Dallas Statutory Probate Court No. 1, Linda
Goehrs, Horrigan & Goehrs (Houston), Lee Franks, Franks &
Pleasant, P.L.L.P. (Lubbock), Disability Rights of Texas, Health &
Human Services Commission, Adult Protective Services (APS), Department of Age
& Disability Services (DADS). Topics include social issues related to
disability, self-determination, money concerns, the duties of the guardian, the
role of the attorneys, the guardianship process and procedures and much more!
Register TODAY!
Call the Office of Dispute Resolution at (806)
775-1720 or email the registration form to
odr@co.lubbock.tx.us.
