February 11, 2025

My Turn: Community Legal Aid launches DIY web-based module for guardianship and caregiver support

BY Gordon ShawGreenfield Recorder

Community Legal Aid (CLA) has launched a new, user-friendly, web-based module designed to assist families in navigating complex legal processes when a child needs a substituted caregiver. Available in both English and Spanish, the module provides comprehensive guidance and helps users complete the necessary steps and forms to establish guardianship or other caregiving arrangements.

This innovative do-it-yourself tool will be of crucial importance when a family finds itself in a situation where a child needs a substituted caregiver due to the illness, incarceration, deportation, or death of a parent. A series of questions, the tool will guide the family and other interested persons through their options and assist them in completing the legal forms needed to obtain a guardianship or some other form of temporary caregiving.

It also helps parents understand how to object to a petition or determine if they qualify for court-appointed counsel.

The need for this sort of free guided help is especially timely given how the opioid epidemic and increased efforts to deport undocumented persons disproportionately hits low-income communities. These impacted families often do not have the resources to hire a lawyer to assist them in setting up a caretaker plan.

At the same time, petitioning for the appointment of a guardian is one of the most form-heavy cases one can file in court, leaving room for errors. This tool will ensure that users are guided to complete all forms accurately and thoroughly.

The module is structured into four components, each accessible online and designed for a seamless user experience. Users can begin at Component 1 and proceed step-by-step or directly access the part most relevant to their needs.

1. Updated content on guardianship and caregiving: The module includes updated information on guardianship and caregiving, hosted on www.masslegalhelp.org. This resource offers detailed guidance on navigating substituted caregiving situations.

2. Caregivers or guardianship: choosing the best option for a child: A new interactive chart helps families and potential caregivers understand the differences between roles such as Caregiver, Temporary Agent, and Guardian. Users can select the best option for their situation and proceed directly to tools and forms.

3. Care type finder: The care type finder, an interactive guided interview, assists users in selecting the appropriate type of caregiver. It also provides guidance for parents who are either in agreement with or opposed to guardianship petitions, directing them to the appropriate forms and steps.

4. Guided interviews hosted by CourtFormsOnline.org: This final component features interactive interviews that guide users through the process of completing legal forms accurately. These tools cover up to 20 court and legal forms related to guardianship cases or substituted caregiving situations.

To access the initial steps of the tool, please visit masslegalhelp.org/children-families-divorce/guardians-other-caregivers.

Community Legal Aid is grateful for the support of the Legal Services Corp., which make this project possible through a Technology Initiative Grant. We are also grateful to our partners, including the Massachusetts Legal Aid Websites Project, funded by the Massachusetts Legal Assistance Corp., and Court Forms Online, a project of Suffolk University Law School’s Legal Innovation and Technology Lab, and Lemma Legal Consulting and Savvy Suit who provided the software development.

Gordon Shaw, Esq., is director of client access at Community Legal Aid