Choice of Guardian Contests in Adult Guardianship: Qualifications, Preferences, Factors, and Other Considerations

The October 14, 2022, meeting will include a presentation by Dan Belko, OPG, on the topic "Choice of Guardian Contests in Adult Guardianship: Qualifications, Preferences, Factors, and Other Considerations". Approved for 1 CLE general credit. 

Dan Belko will cover what a court must consider in selecting a guardian for a person with a disability in a contested “choice of guardian” hearing and what practitioners should consider when representing parties in such a proceeding. The presentation will review pertinent statutes and case law in regard to who may act as guardian, the qualifications of a proposed guardian, the preferences of the person with a disability, and the factors the court must consider in choosing a guardian. The presentation will also address strategies and practical considerations for practitioners litigating contested “choice of guardian” cases.

Dan Belko

Daniel Belko is the Deputy Public Guardian in charge of the Adult Guardianship Division of the Cook County Public Guardian's Office. Over the course of his career at the Public Guardian’s Office, Mr. Belko has handled numerous adult guardianship estates in probate court and tried many cases including those involving issues of incapacity, choice of guardian, undue influence and financial exploitation. Mr. Belko has authored and co-authored legislation impacting adults with disabilities and adult guardianship proceedings. He has also testified before various committees of the Illinois General Assembly. Mr. Belko received a Bachelor of Science, magna cum laude, in the Administration of Criminal Justice and Sociology from Bradley University. Mr. Belko earned his law degree from the Illinois Institute of Technology’s Chicago-Kent College of Law and is a past recipient of its Honorable Abraham Lincoln Marovitz Public Interest Law Award.