Appointment of a guardian

A guardian may be necessary when, for example, a severe illness or a high age has weakened the person's mental abilities so that he or she cannot control his or her interests or manage his or her affairs. However, the guardian shall be appointed only if the matters are not appropriately dealt with by other means.

By providing continuing power of attorney, continuing power of attorney , a person can prepare in advance for the management of his/her affairs in the event that he/she is at a later time unable to manage them themselves

A guardian is appointed by a district court or the Digital and Population Data Service Agency or Digital and Population Data Service Agency .

A written application for the appointment of a guardian may be submitted to the district court. In addition to the person in need of assistance, the application may also be submitted by his or her father, mother, spouse, child or other close relative.

The Digital and Population Data Service Agency or the district court may also appoint a public guardian to act as the guardian. The public guardian is usually a public official employed by a public guardianship office. In some regions, a public guardian employed by a provider of outsourced services may also act as a public guardian. Read more from public guardianship's website .

The Digital and Population Data Service Agency provides advice and guidance in the procedure for appointing a guardian.