Florida Statutes Part VIII - Veterans’ Guardianship (Ss. 744.602-744.653)

• 744.602 - Short Title; Scope Of Part.
  (1) This part shall be known and may be cited as the “Veterans’ Guardianship Law.”(2) The application of this part is limited to veterans and other persons...
• 744.604 - Definitions.
  As used in this part, the term:(1) “Adjudication by a court of competent jurisdiction” means a judicial decision or finding that a person is or is...
• 744.607 - Secretary Of Veterans Affairs As Party In Interest.
  The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall be a party in interest in any proceeding for the appointment or removal of a guardian or for the...
• 744.609 - Procedure For Commitment Of Veteran To United States Department Of Veterans Affairs Hospital.
  The procedure for the placement into a United States Department of Veterans Affairs hospital of a ward hereunder shall be the procedure prescribed in s....
• 744.613 - Appointment Of Guardian For Ward Authorized.
  (1) Whenever, pursuant to any law of the United States or regulation of the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, the secretary requires, prior to the...
• 744.616 - Petition For Appointment Of Guardian.
  (1) A petition for the appointment of a guardian may be filed in any court of competent jurisdiction by, or on behalf of, any person who...
• 744.617 - Notice By Court Of Petition Filed For Appointment Of Guardian.
  (1) When a petition for the appointment of a guardian has been filed pursuant to s. 744.616, the court shall cause such notice to be given...
• 744.618 - Persons Who May Be Appointed Guardian.
  (1) Notwithstanding any law with respect to priority of persons entitled to appointment, or nomination in the petition, the court may appoint some other individual or...
• 744.619 - Bond Of Guardian.
  When the appointment of a guardian is made, the guardian shall execute and file a bond to be approved by the court in an amount...
• 744.621 - Inventory Of Ward’s Property; Guardian’s Failure To File Inventory; Discharge; Forfeiture Of Commissions.
  Every guardian shall, within 30 days after his or her qualification and whenever subsequently required by the circuit judge, file in the circuit court a...
• 744.622 - Guardian Empowered To Receive Moneys Due Ward From The United States Government.
  A guardian appointed under the provisions of s. 744.616 may receive income and benefits payable by the United States through the United States Department of...
• 744.624 - Guardian’s Application Of Estate Funds For Support And Maintenance Of Person Other Than Ward.
  A guardian shall not apply any portion of the estate of her or his ward to the support and maintenance of any person other than...
• 744.625 - Petition For Support, Or Support And Education, Of Ward’s Dependents; Payments Of Apportioned Benefits Prohibit Contempt Action Against Veteran.
  (1) Any person who is dependent on a ward for support may petition a court of competent jurisdiction for an order directing the guardian of the...
• 744.626 - Exemption Of Benefits From Claims Of Creditors.
  Except as provided by federal law, payments of benefits from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs or the Social Security Administration to or for...
• 744.627 - Investment Of Funds Of Estate By Guardian.
  Every guardian shall invest the funds of the estate in such manner or in such securities, in which the guardian has no interest, as allowed...
• 744.631 - Guardian’s Petition For Authority To Sell Ward’s Real Estate; Notice By Publication; Penalties.
  (1) When a guardian of the estate of a minor or an incompetent ward, which guardian has the control or management of any real estate that...
• 744.634 - Guardian’s Accounts, Filing With Court And Certification To United States Department Of Veterans Affairs; Notice And Hearing On Accounts; Failure To Account.
  (1) Every guardian who receives on account of his or her ward any moneys from the United States Department of Veterans Affairs shall annually file with...
• 744.637 - Certified Copies Of Public Records Made Available.
  When a copy of any public record is required by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs to be used in determining the eligibility of...
• 744.638 - Clerk Of The Circuit Court; Fees; Duties.
  Upon the filing of the petition for guardianship, granting of same, and entering decree thereon, the clerk of the circuit court is entitled to the...
• 744.639 - Attorney’s Fee.
  The fee for the attorney filing the petition and conducting the proceedings shall be fixed by the court in an amount as small as reasonably...
• 744.641 - Guardian’s Compensation; Bond Premiums.
  The amount of compensation payable to a guardian shall not exceed 5 percent of the income of the ward during any year and may be...
• 744.643 - Discharge Of Guardian Of Minor Or Incompetent Ward.
  When a minor ward, for whom a guardian has been appointed under the provisions of this part or other laws of this state, attains his...
• 744.646 - Final Settlement Of Guardianship; Notice Required; Guardian Ad Litem Fee; Papers Required By United States Department Of Veterans Affairs.
  On the final settlement of the guardianship, the notice provided herein for partial settlement must be given and the other proceedings conducted as in the...
• 744.649 - Notice Of Appointment Of General Guardian; Closing Of Veteran’s Guardianship; Transfer Of Responsibilities And Penalties To General Guardian.
  When the appointment of a general guardian has been made in the proper court and such guardian has qualified and taken charge of the other...
• 744.652 - Construction And Application Of Part.
  This part shall be construed liberally to secure the beneficial intents and purposes of this part and applies only to beneficiaries of the United States...
• 744.653 - Annual Guardianship Report.
  Guardians appointed under the Veterans’ Guardianship Law shall not be required to comply with the provisions of s. 744.367.History.—s. 6, ch. 91-306.

Last modified: September 23, 2016