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Right to counsel

Guardianship Abuse: Bad Apples or Tip of the Iceberg?

January 2025

When cases involving high-profile individuals, like Britney Spears, make national headlines, issues surrounding guardianship and conservatorship take center stage. But after those specific cases resolve and national interest fades, the systemic issues remain. We have very little data on how the guardianship system is actually working, and the scope and prevalence of guardianship abuse remains unclear. We don’t know how many individuals suffer abuse under guardianship. We don’t know to what extent guardianship, when properly executed, improves the lives of those it’s intended to serve.

Waiver of Counsel in Juvenile Court

Date Published
May 2019
Publication Type
Research (Applied/Empirical), Report (Study/Research), Report (Grant Sponsored), Program/Project Description
Agencies
NIJ-Sponsored

Research Meetings and Workshops

NIJ learns from the people who work day-to-day with the issues. We sponsor meetings, workshops, and working groups that bring together researchers, policymakers, technologists, and practitioners.

These meetings generate a rich exchange of ideas. They guide future research and help ensure that NIJ's research, development and evaluation activities meet real-world needs.

Review the summaries or transcripts available for many of these meetings: