decisions regarding what he wants to do, clothes to wear, food to eat[,]” but unable to make
“[c]omplex decisions regarding medical procedures, safety issues; organizing tasks,
finances.”
In response to Parents’ Petition, William, through his counsel, “consent[ed] to the
relief sought.”
On August 18, 2023, the circuit court held a hearing on the petition, at which
William and Parents were present and represented by separate counsel. Parents sought “to
do two things,” which counsel identified as, first, “address[ing] property” by modifying the
existing guardianship to add Parents as guardian of William’s property, and second, “also
to have an exception to allow William to vote.” Counsel for William consented to
expanding the guardianship to encompass property. After meeting at William’s group
home in Bowie “with Andrea Waring, who is the family friend who is proposed as one of
the supported decision-makers[,]” counsel observed that “she is very familiar with him, the
comfort level is there.”
Counsel for Parents proffered that they had been “unofficially” handling William’s
financial affairs, including “three accounts” consisting of “a 401k” valued at $86,908.90;
a bank account with $1,078.47; and a Maryland ABLE account valued at $7,801.27. When
counsel for Parents noted that “the time is now to make that official and also address the
voting issue[,]” William’s counsel added that “they’re in the process of opening an ABLE
account” and “there’s just an increasing level of sophistication from a financial level that
makes it a little bit more than being the representative/payee of Social Security.” In
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