Guardianship

Continuing research participation as an adult

Simons Searchlight will contact you around your child’s birthday to find out if they will be legally independent or have a court-appointed guardian. All independent adults must provide their own consent and have their own email address to continue participating in Simons Searchlight.

Regardless of whether you will become your child’s legal guardian or if they will participate as an independent adult, a new consent form is required in order to continue participating in Simons Searchlight.

About Guardianship

For those families who have requested information about guardianship, here are some resources to help you begin the process of filing for guardianship of your child when your child reaches adulthood. Each country has a different process for establishing guardianship of legal adults and, for the United States, this process can differ from state to state. Several types of legally authorized representatives, also called LAR, can make consent decisions for a young adult to participate in research. The following is a list of the different types of legally authorized representatives.

• Legal Guardian or Guardianship
• Conservator or Conservatorship
• Power of Attorney, which can be financial, medical, both financial and medical, or for some other reason
• Ward of the State, for example when guardianship is transferred to a state or country

When is guardianship of an adult needed?

Guardianship is a personal decision that is unique to your family and situation. The resources below provide more information about guardianship and may help you make the best choice for your family. When your child reaches adulthood, you could seek legal advice from an attorney to discuss the process of guardianship if you feel that your child will not be able to make decisions about their health, finances, or daily care.

Click on your country below to find out more about your guardianship laws.