Public Information
This page includes all public information about the Guardianship Improvement Task Force, including upcoming meeting information, past meeting information and recordings, press releases, and news about the Task Force.
Upcoming Meetings
VIRTUAL MEETING – NOVEMBER 15, 2021
Date: Monday, November 15
Time: 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. (EST)
Location: Virtual Only
Live Stream: Online viewing options will be available via YouTube and public comments can made through WebEx
Meeting Materials:
Past Meetings
IN-PERSON MEETING – September 23, 2021
Date: Thursday, September 23, 2021
Time: 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., EDT
Location: In-Person (Tallahassee, FL)
Recording: A recording of the meeting is available below
Meeting Materials:
2. In-Person Meeting Parking Details
VIRTUAL MEETING – September 14, 2021
Date: Tuesday, September 14, 2021
Time: 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., EDT
Location: Virtual Only
Recording: A recording of the meeting is available below
Meeting Materials:
2. PowerPoint Presentation: Professional Guardianship Perspective
3. PowerPoint Presentation: Court-Appointed Attorney Perspective
VIRTUAL MEETING – September 2, 2021
Date: Thursday, September 2, 2021
Time: 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., EDT
Location: Virtual Only
Recording: A recording of the meeting is available below
Meeting Materials:
1. Meeting Agenda
2. Source Document: Broward County Court Monitor Procedures AO 2019-26-PRC
3. PowerPoint Presentation: Education, Regulation, and Discipline of Professional Guardians
4. PowerPoint Presentation: Ninth Judicial Circuit of Florida Court Monitor Model (Orange and Osceola Counties)
5. PowerPoint Presentation: Relationship of the Clerk/IG, the Court and the Court Monitor
VIRTUAL MEETING – August 19, 2021
Date: Thursday, August 19, 2021
Time: 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., EDT
Location: Virtual Only
Recording: A recording of the meeting is available below
VIRTUAL MEETING – August 5, 2021
Date: Thursday, August 5, 2021
Time: 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., EDT
Location: Virtual Only
Recording: A recording of the meeting is available below
Meeting Materials:
IN-PERSON Meeting – July 28, 2021
Date: Wednesday, July 28, 2021
Time: 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., EDT
Location: Epicenter at St. Petersburg College in Clearwater, FL
Recording: A recording of the meeting is available below
VIRTUAL KICKOFF MEETING – July 22, 2021
Date: Thursday, July 22, 2021
Time: 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., EDT
Location: Virtual Only
Recording: A recording of the meeting is available below
Meeting Materials:
Task Force Press Releases and News
MEDIA ADVISORY: GUARDIANSHIP IMPROVEMENT TASK FORCE TO HOLD VIRTUAL MEETING
SEPTEMBER 1ST, 2021
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Guardianship Improvement Task Force will hold a virtual meeting on Thursday, September 2nd from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., EDT… READ MORE
MEDIA ADVISORY: GUARDIANSHIP IMPROVEMENT TASK FORCE TO HOLD MEETING AUGUST 19
AUGUST 18, 2021
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Guardianship Improvement Task Force will hold a virtual meeting on Thursday, August 19, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., EDT… READ MORE
MEDIA ADVISORY: GUARDIANSHIP IMPROVEMENT TASK FORCE TO HOLD MEETING AUGUST 5TH
AugUST 4, 2021
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Guardianship Improvement Task Force will hold a virtual meeting on Thursday, August 5, from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., EDT… READ MORE
MEDIA ADVISORY: GUARDIANSHIP IMPROVEMENT TASK FORCE TO HOLD MEETING JULY 28
JULY 27, 2021
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, the Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers (FCCC) announced the formation of the Guardianship Improvement Task Force (Task Force). The Task Force will be sponsored and supported by FCCC, and members will work together to study the status of current guardianships in Florida and offer positive legislative recommendations leading… READ MORE
MEDIA ADVISORY: GUARDIANSHIP IMPROVEMENT TASK FORCE TO HOLD VIRTUAL MEETING JULY 22
JULY 21, 2021
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – The Guardianship Improvement Task Force will hold a virtual meeting on Thursday, July 22, from 12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m., EDT… READ MORE
Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers Announce Task Force to Improve Guardianships
JuNE 30, 2021
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Today, the Florida Court Clerks & Comptrollers (FCCC) announced the formation of the Guardianship Improvement Task Force (Task Force). The Task Force will be sponsored and supported by FCCC, and members will work together to study the status of current guardianships in Florida and offer positive legislative recommendations leading… READ MORE
FIRST EVER GUARDIANSHIP TASK FORCE TO MEET
CAPITOL NEWS SERVICE | JULY 21, 2021
Relevant Articles and Resources About Guardianship
HELPFUL LINKS
GUARDIANSHIP MONITORING IN FLORIDA (2003)
Supreme Court Commission on Fairness, Committee on Guardianship Monitoring
3 PART BUZZFEED SERIES ON GUARDIANSHIP
PART 1 – BEYOND BRITNEY: ABUSE, EXPLOITATION, AND DEATH INSIDE AMERICA’S GUARDIANSHIP INDUSTRY
BUZZFEED NEWS | SEPTEMBER 17, 2021
PART 2 – THEY BOTH FOUGHT TO BREAK FREE FROM GUARDIANSHIP. ONLY ONE ESCAPED.
BUZZFEED NEWS | SEPTEMBER 19, 2021
BUZZFEED NEWS | SEPTEMBER 20, 2021
ADDITIONAL ARTICLES
HERE ARE 8 MAJOR TAKEAWAYS FROM BUZZFEED NEWS’ INVESTIGATION INTO GUARDIANSHIPS.
BUZZFEED NEWS | SEPTEMBER 28, 2021
NATIONAL GUARDIANSHIP NETWORK CALLS FOR REFORMS TO U.S. GUARDIANSHIP SYSTEM
national disability rights network | june 24, 2021
SENATORS COLLINS, CASEY INTRODUCE BIPARTISAN BILL TO PROTECT INDIVIDUALS UNDER THE CARE OF GUARDIANS
susan collins, u.S. Senator for Maine, Press release | SEPTEMBER 28, 2021
RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE FOURTH NATIONAL GUARDIANSHIP SUMMIT
MAY 2021
A BRANDON WOMAN, 92, FOUGHT HER GUARDIANSHIP. THINGS ESCALATED QUICKLY
TAMPA BAY TIMES | AUGUST 26, 2021
In late July, Christine Lagisquet was bidding her friend Stephanie Figueredo goodbye at the door of her Brandon home. The 92-year-old’s kitchen was stocked from her recent trip to the grocery store — replete with smoked salmon and the cheeses that remind her of her childhood home in Bordeaux, France. That’s when Figueredo noticed a stranger standing outside. The woman had pixie-short hair and a purple polo shirt that read, “Florida Professional Guardian Services.”… READ MORE
GUARDIANSHIP TASKFORE GETS A NATIONAL PERSPECTIVE
THE FLORIDA BAR NEWS | AUGUST 27, 2021
Michael Lincoln-McCreight is a former guardianship ward who has had his rights restored and now serves as a member of the Guardianship Improvement Task Force. At the task force’s August 19 meeting, which was devoted to looking at recent reforms enacted in other states and hearing from two guardianship experts, Lincoln-McCreight wanted to know the selection process for the three members of competency committees who review potential wards in Florida guardianship cases and how “supportive” decisionmaking could be used to help wards retain some rights.… READ MORE
HOSPITALS SEEK DISMISSAL OF LAWSUIT BY FAMILY OF MAN WHOSE DEATH SPARKED FLORIDA GUARDIANSHIP SCANDAL
ORLANDO SENTINEL | AUGUST 11, 2021
Attorneys for two hospitals asked an Orange County judge Wednesday to dismiss for a second time a negligence lawsuit filed by the family of a man who died while under the care of former Orlando guardian Rebecca Fierle… READ MORE
BRITNEY SPEARS’ FATHER FILES PETITION TO END CONSERVATORSHIP AFTER 13 YEARS AT HELM OF POP STAR’S ESTATE
NBC NEWS | SEPTEMBER 7, 2021
Britney Spears’ father filed a petition to end his daughter’s conservatorship Tuesday, a major victory for the singer after her father had held the reins of her estate for more than 13 years.… READ MORE
GUARDIAN WAITS 12 DAYS TO INFORM FAMILY MEMBERS OF THEIR LOVED ONE’S COVID-19 DEATH
Action News WFTS Tampa Bay | January 21, 2021
“THE COURT HAS PLANS FOR YOU” THE SYSTEM OF ADULT GUARDIANSHIP IS INTENDED TO PROTECT VULNERABLE ELDERS. INSTEAD, IT’S LINING THE POCKETS OF LAWYERS AND GUARDIANS.
Searchlight New Mexico | February 18, 2021
FORMER GUARDIAN CHARGED WITH PILLAGING ELDERLY MAN’S ESTATE REFUSES TO SIGN FINAL ACCOUNTING
Action News WFTS Tampa Bay | March 4, 2021
BRITNEY SPEARS, NETFLIX’S ‘I CARE A LOT’ PUT GUARDIANSHIP ABUSE IN SPOTLIGHT
Tampa Bay Times | March 16, 2021
FLORIDA BILLS OFFER AN ALTERNATIVE TO COURT-APPOINTED GUARDIANS FOR SENIORS
Tampa Bay Times | April 9, 2021
CBS 12 NEWS INVESTIGATES: GUARDIANSHIP ABUSE
CBS 12 News, April 28, 2021
FLORIDA LAWMAKERS STRENGTHENED PUNISHMENTS FOR ABUSE OF ELDERS, DISABLED
Tampa Bay Times | May 4, 2021
FORMER GUARDIAN ALLEGEDLY STOLE GUNS, FORGED APPRAISAL
Action News WFTS Tampa Bay | June 30, 2021
FLORIDA CLERKS LAUNCH TASK FORCE IN EFFORT TO IMPROVE GUARDIANSHIPS
Florida Bar News | July 1, 2021
EXCLUSIVE: ELIZABETH WARREN, BOB CASEY ASK FOR DATA ON CONSERVATORSHIPS AFTER BRITNEY SPEARS TESTIMONY
Time | July 1, 2021
COLORADO LAWMAKER WANTS MORE ACCOUNTABILITY, TRANSPARENCY IN STATE’S GUARDIANSHIP SYSTEM
Denver7 | July 9, 2021
DETROIT MAN WHO IS DEAF-BLIND FREED AFTER SPENDING MORE THAN 2 YEARS UNDER GUARDIANSHIP
WXYZ Detroit | July 8, 2021
BRITNEY SPEARS’S CASE CALLS ATTENTION TO WIDER QUESTIONS ON GUARDIANSHIP
The New York Times | July 10, 2021
‘MORE ART’ THAN SCIENCE: INCAPACITY FINDINGS PRONE TO ABUSE
Law360 | July 11, 2021
BRITNEY SPEARS CASE BRINGS LIGHT TO FIRST FLORIDA GUARDIANSHIP TASKFORCE
Palm Beach Post | July 21, 2021
THE ADULT GUARDIANSHIP PIPELINE: SUPPORTS, SAFEGUARDS, AND OFF-RAMPS
proquest, scholarly journal | 2019/2020
ENSURING TRUST: STRENGTHENING STATE EFFORTS TO OVERHAYL THE GUARDIANSHIP PROCESS AND PROTECT OLDER AMERICANS
U.S. senate special committee on aging | november 2018
MIAMI WILL FINALLY TRY TO FIX ITS CROOKED GUARDIANSHIP PROGRAMS
MIAMI NEW TIMES | MARCH 27, 2015
CAN BETTER OVERSIGHT CURE FLORIDA’S GUARDIANSHIP ABUSES?
Palm Beach Post Opinion | APRIL 18, 2015
I-TEAM UPDATE: FIXING A BROKEN SYSTEM.
CBS AFFILIATE CFVS | APRIL 23, 2015
LETTERS: GUARDIANSHIP LAWS STILL WEAK IN STATE.
Palm Beach Post OPINION | JUNE 15, 2015
Local clerk wins guardianship award
The Palm Beach Post| November 6, 2014
Palm Beach County Clerk and Comptroller Sharon Bock won a national award for a guardianship fraud program that in…READ MORE
Program protecting retirees wins Palm Beach County clerk award
The Palm Beach Post| November 6, 2014
A fraud-fighting program that’s become a model statewide for protecting vulnerable retirees has won national recognition for the Palm Beach County clerk and comptroller….READ MORE
SCOTT SIGNS BILL GIVING CLERKS MORE POWER TO FIGHT GUARDIANSHIP FRAUD
THE PALM BEACH POST| JUNE 20, 2014
Gov. Rick Scott has signed a bill originating out of Palm Beach County giving clerks of court statewide more power to….READ MORE
FLORIDA LAW EMPOWERS CLERKS TO GO AFTER GUARDIANSHIP FRAUD
THE PALM BEACH POST| MAY 12, 2014
In one case, a father allegedly splurged thousands of dollars on himself and his girlfriend from an inheritance his daughter’s mother had left her when she died. In another, a mother inexplicably spent more than $20,000 from her son’s lawsuit settlement….READ MORE
FLORIDA’S GUARDIANS OFTEN EXPLOIT THE VULNERABLE RESIDENTS THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO PROTECT
MIAMI NEW TIMES | MAY 08, 2014
Lacy Waters lay on a hospital gurney, her head a hornet’s nest of pain and confusion. Between the brain parasites and the drugs designed to kill them, she could hardly think — let alone answer questions. Yet that was exactly what the strangers at her bedside now demanded. As the 45-year-old Nicaraguan maid with a grade-school education desperately tried to recall the names of American presidents, the three men made careful notes on their clipboards….READ MORE
WHY YOU SHOULD CARE ABOUT GUARDIANSHIP ABUSE
MIAMI NEW TIMES | MAY 07, 2014
This week’s feature is a bit different, however. Yes, there are kidnappings, accusations of fraud, and brain-eating tapeworms, but it is, at heart, an investigation into something most Floridians have never heard of: guardianship abuse…READ MORE
PALM BEACH GUARDIANSHIP MONITORING PROGRAM OFFERS INNOVATIVE MODEL
AMERICAN BAR ASSOCIATION | APRIL 01, 2014
As our nation’s population continues to age, the importance of independent monitoring of guardianship grows as well. Monitoring is critical to protecting society’s most vulnerable individuals—older individuals with dementia, younger individuals with disabilities, and minors. The Clerk & Comptroller, Palm Beach County’s Division of Inspector General team performs highly specialized, in-depth audits and investigations of guardianships…. READ MORE
RESTORATION OF CAPACITY STUDY AND WORK GROUP REPORT
FLORIDA DEPARTMENTAL DISABILITIES COUNCIL | FEBRUARY 28, 2014
The Florida Developmental Disabilities Council commissioned a research study to examine guardianship restorations among persons with developmental disabilities. Guardian Trust co- sponsored the project… READ MORE
EDITORIAL: LAW SHOULD ALLOW CLERKS OF COURT TO HELP GIVE MORE PROTECTION TO ELDERLY WARDS OF THE COURT
THE PALM BEACH POST | FEBRUARY 8, 2014
Just about anyone you talk to these days who has an elderly grandparent, parent, or even aunt or uncle, can share a story of someone being taken advantage of by an alleged loved one. Sadly, fraud by court-appointed guardians is a growing, but under-reported domestic crime…READ MORE
JEFF BRANDES’ BILL WOULD HELP KEEP UNSCRUPULOUS GUARDIANS IN CHECK
SUNSHINE STATE NEWS | JANUARY 14, 2014
Sen. Jeff Brandes, R-St. Petersburg, came out swinging Tuesday, filing SB 634, legislation aimed at preventing the abuse of vulnerable Floridians by unscrupulous guardians… READ MORE
9 INVESTIGATES CENTRAL FLORIDA LEGAL GUARDIANS
WFTV 9 NEWS | JULY 25, 2013
Legal guardians are entrusted with the protection of central Florida’s most vulnerable residents, but a three-month Eyewitness News investigation has uncovered over-billing and neglect complaints in the statewide guardianship system… READ MORE
MELODY HENDERSON STOLE MORE THAN $37,000 FROM SON’S GUARDIANSHIP ACCOUNT, DEPUTIES SAY
WPBF | APRIL 22, 2013
A Lake Worth woman acting as a guardian for her son was arrested last week after she stole more than $37,000 from her son’s guardianship bank account, the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office said…… READ MORE
PB COUNTY MAN CHARGED WITH STEALING FROM DAUGHTER
BOCA NEWS NOW | JANUARY 28, 2013
We don’t normally report on crime that has no direct link to Boca Raton, but the arrest of a former Lake Worth man — now living in Nashville — is worthy of wide coverage. The man allegedly misused guardian funds allocated for his daughter.… READ MORE
DAD SQUANDERED DAUGHTER’S $58,000 INHERITANCE ON CAR, FLIGHT FOR GIRLFRIEND, SAY DEPUTIES
SUN-SENTINEL | JANUARY 29, 2013
A man who splits his time between Nashville and Palm Beach County is accused of frittering away his daughter’s $58,000 inheritance from her late mother — who died in 2011… READ MORE
GRANDMOTHER BECOMES SECRET ‘PIGGY BANK’
SUN-SENTINEL | NOVEMBER 5, 2012
First-grade teacher Natalie Varonok moved to Palm Beach County to enjoy her retirement with her close family… READ MORE
CLERK FINDS NEARLY $1 MILLION IN POTENTIAL FRAUD IN PALM BEACH COUNTY’S GUARDIAN PROGRAMS
SUN-SENTINEL | OCTOBER 31, 2012
Palm Beach County Clerk Sharon Bock said Wednesday her office has found more than $1 million in “questionable expenses” by guardians appointed to act of behalf of wards of the court in the year since she launched the county’s Guardianship Fraud Hotline…READ MORE
REPORT SENIOR EXPLOITATION, EXPERTS SAY
SUN-SENTINEL | JUNE 01, 2012
A guardian insists on buying a 56-inch flat-screen TV for his ward — a woman who court auditors later discover lives in a Palm Beach County care facility and has lost much of her memory to Alzheimer’s..… READ MORE
GUARDIANS FACE AUDITS, HOTLINE COMPLAINTS UNDER NEW PALM BEACH COUNTY CLERK SERVICE
THE PALM BEACH POST | SEPTEMBER 13, 2011
More than 2,500 Palm Beach County children, elderly and disabled residents who depend on a court-appointed guardian to manage their finances may now have additional protection against fraud or misuse of their money.… READ MORE
PALM BEACH COUNTY LAUNCHES GUARDIANSHIP FRAUD HOTLINE
SUN-SENTINEL | SEPTEMBER 11, 2011
A new Palm Beach County hotline unveiled Monday allows people to report suspected fraud, waste or mismanagement by guardians of the elderly, children or incapacitated.… READ MORE