AN ACT relating to guardianship proceedings.

Amend various sections of KRS 387.500 to 387.770 to change the term "ward" to "protected person"; allow the respondent the right to retain private counsel; set out the respondent's right to an attorney who does not act as a guardian ad litem; increase maximum allowable hourly rate for court-appointed attorneys; create new sections of KRS 387.500 to 387.770 to allow the court to address the needs of marital parties after the appointment of a guardian or conservator; allow the court to appoint a guardian ad litem for the respondent in certain circumstances; amend KRS 216B.303 to conform.

Introduced: February 27, 2026

Last action: February 27, 2026

To Committee On Committees (S)

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This bill makes several changes to how guardianship and conservatorship cases are handled in Kentucky courts. It replaces the term "ward" with "protected person," strengthens the legal rights of people who are the subject of these proceedings by giving them clearer access to their own attorney, raises the maximum pay rate for court-appointed attorneys, and allows courts to address the needs of married couples when one spouse becomes subject to a guardianship or conservatorship. Who it may affect: adults subject to guardianship or conservatorship proceedings, their spouses and families, and attorneys who work on these cases.

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