Guardianship Association of New Jersey, Inc.

GANJI is a not-for-profit organization of professionals, families, and individuals committed to supporting guardians and other surrogate decision makers in enhancing the lives of persons who require assistance.

Our Address: P.O. Box 546, Chester, NJ 07930

Executive Director: Jane E. Gildersleeve, RG

Annual Conference Information

GANJI will hold its 15th Annual Conference on October 19, 2010, at the Crowne Plaza Monroe in Jamesburg. The theme of the Conference will be:

"Resiliency in Guardianship: Preserving Rights and Responsibilities"

The Keynote speaker will be Scott Chesney, from Verona, NJ.

Conference Sponsors include:

Bayada Nurses
Arden Court
Care Alternatives
Laura Kellett Realty LLC
Law Office of Sharon Rivenson Mark
Schenk, Price, Smith & King, LLP
Urbach & Avraham, CPAs, LLP
Law Office of Donald D. Vanarelli

Click here for a copy of the Conference brochure which includes a registration form (page 3):

Conference Brochure

Education Institute

June 28, 2010:

"Being an Effective Guardian"

This seminar will include a presentation by Hon. Susan Hoffman, Hunterdon County Surrogate and Ellen Nalven, Executive Director of PLAN/NJ. Approval for three (3) CEU hours for Registered Guardians is pending.

8:30AM-11:00AM

(Check-in at 8:00AM)

Atlantic Health System Board Room

475 South Street, 3rd Floor

Morristown, NJ

For more information click here: Seminar

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Press Releases

GANJI President Receives NGA Award

Nashville, TN, October 5, 2008 - At the annual Awards Luncheon of the National Guardianship Association, Dawn Thomas, GANJI President, received a 2008 Outstanding Affiliate Member Award. This award is for dedicated and devoted service to advance the guardianship profession. In addition to her GANJI duties, Ms. Thomas is an active member of the Northern NJ Senior Care Network and co-chair of the Northwest Regional Ethics Partnership under the office of the NJ Office of the Ombudsman.

Dawn excels at networking and is able to mobilize professionals from varying fields of practice. She has increased substantially GANJI's sponsorship funding for our annual conference. As a leader she is enthusiastic, thinks outside the box and is willing to try new solutions to bring about systems change that enhance the lives of the incapacitated citizens she serves. As a clinician, Dawn is a compassionate, creative and tenacious advocate for her clients.

GANJI Trustee Named a Fellow of NAELA

New Jersey, May 1, 2007 – Shirley B. Whitenack, a partner at Schenck, Price, Smith & King, LLP and a member of the Board of Trustees of GANJI, has been named a Fellow of the National Academy of Elder Attorneys (NAELA). Selection as a Fellow is the highest honor bestowed by the Academy. Ms. Whitenack also has been elected to the Board of Directors of NAELA and has been selected to receive the 2007 Distinguished Service Award from the New Jersey Institute for Continuing Legal Education.

GANJI Reform Becomes a Reality in New Jersey

New Jersey, January 20, 2006 – Substantial amendments to New Jersey’s guardianship statutes were signed into law on January 11, 2006 and are effective immediately. Attempting to improve protections for the legal rights of New Jersey’s most vulnerable citizens, the new legislation acknowledges different types of guardianship, such as temporary guardianship, limited guardianship, special guardianship and full guardianship. It requires all participants in the guardianship process to consider and respect the decision-making abilities of the incapacitated person and to encourage self-determination where possible. GANJI actively supported the new reforms. Some of the changes include:

Determination of Capacity Provides that either a ward or a guardian may petition the court for restoration to competency.

Choosing a Guardian

Directs the court to consider surrogate decision-maker designated by the individual in a power of attorney, health care proxy or advance directive in selecting a guardian.
Gives priority to a “registered domestic partner” as well as a spouse in the selection of guardian.

Authority and Scope of Guardianship

Permits the court to appoint a limited guardian when an incapacitated person can do some but not all tasks to care for himself or herself.
Permits the appointment of a temporary guardian on notice to the alleged incapacitated person and his or her court-appointed attorney pending the final hearing if there is risk of substantial harm.
Permits the guardian to initiate litigation, including actions alleging fraud, abuse, undue influence and exploitation, or defend litigation on behalf of the alleged incapacitated person.
Permits the guardian to engage in planning concerning public assistance programs consistent with current law.
Provides that a guardian is not legally obligated to provide for the ward from the guardian’s own funds and is not liable to a third party for acts of the ward solely by reason of the guardianship relationship.
States that a guardian is not liable for injury to the ward from conduct of a care provider unless the guardian failed to exercise reasonable care in choosing the provider.
Provides that generally a guardian is bound by the ward’s previously executed health care power of attorney or advance directive unless otherwise directed by the court.
Allows the guardian, to the extent specifically ordered by the court for good cause shown, to initiate voluntary admission of the ward to a state or private psychiatric facility.
Permits the guardian to sell or dispose of the ward’s personal property, including vehicles, to meet the ward’s needs.

Duties of the Guardian

Requires the guardian to give due regard to the preferences of the ward and encourage the ward’s participation in decision-making.
Requires the guardian to personally visit the ward every three months or in such intervals as deemed appropriate by the court and to maintain sufficient contact to know the ward’s capacities, limitations and needs.

Guardian Accountability

Requires the guardian to report annually to the court on the ward’s condition and the ward’s estate, and specifies the content of the guardian’s report.
Requires the guardian to abide by the “Prudent Investor Act” in handling the ward’s assets.

On January 12, 2006, legislation governing professional guardians also was signed into law. The legislation, which becomes effective 180 days from that date, requires those professional guardians with five or more wards unrelated to them to register with the office of New Jersey’s Public Guardian.

Prepared by Shirley B. Whitenack, Esq.

The information contained on this website is not intended to be legal, medical or tax advice nor is it intended to create a client relationship. Specific issues and situations should be addressed to an appropriate professional.