Court Angels Program

It is the responsibility of the Probate Court to ensure that a person under guardianship, the ward, is being provided appropriate care and services. This is why the Probate Judge is often referred to as the superior guardian of every ward. It is also one of the reasons the Court requires the filing of regular guardian reports and also requires a guardian to regularly complete education requirements to make sure they are performing their duties properly.

While these reports and education requirements generally serve their intended purpose, the experience of Ohio courts is that more is needed to ensure the safety and well-being of every ward. Although there are no problems in the vast majority of Shelby County guardianships, it is the rare few cases that necessitate additional protections by the Court.

Therefore, in order to make sure a ward’s needs are being met the Shelby County Probate Court has recently established the Shelby County Court Angels program. That program is outlined in the attached pamphlet and is designed to assist both the guardian and the ward.

Under the program the assigned Court Angel, listed above, will periodically visit, in person, with the guardian and the ward and report to the Court on the status of the guardianship. These short visits may be done on an annual, bi-annual, or more or less frequent basis as circumstances require.

The Court Angel is only there to observe the ward’s physical and emotional health, functioning level, and living situation; basically, their overall care.  The Court Angel will then submit a status report to the Court.

If you are interested in volunteering to become a Court Angel, contact Shelby County Probate Court today!  937-498-7263 – Option #3