At Peck Bloom, our attorneys are involved in various organizations that raise money for great causes near and dear to our hearts and the hearts of our clients. As attorneys practicing in the areas of elder law, guardianship and estate and trust litigation, many of our clients or their loved ones are living with severe cognitive, developmental and physical challenges. The courage, spirit and determination of these loved ones inspire us at Peck Bloom to participate in charitable and other worthwhile causes.

One of the organizations that is close to the heart of associate attorney, Cameron DeGuerre is the Auxiliary Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital. The Auxiliary Board is composed of young professionals who raise money to support research programs at Northwestern. For the past two years, the board has been supporting the work of Dr. Sunt Das and Northwestern’s Brain Tumor Institute to advance the research and treatment of brain tumors, like the tumor that ended the life of the famed Ted Kennedy. Currently, an adult with a malignant brain tumor is only 30 percent likely to survive five years, showing the desperate need for Northwestern’s research.

The Auxiliary Board’s annual event “Summer Lovin’” will be held this Friday, June 18th at the Museum of Contemporary Art. The event will showcase the museum, live music, 13 dining stations, 8 premium bars and Chicago Magazine’s “Most Outstanding Singles of 2010.”
So come support a great cause! You can buy your tickets at the door or save your spot online by clicking here.

*To learn more about the Brain Tumor Institute of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, click here.

*To learn more about the Auxiliary Board of Northwestern Memorial Hospital, click here.

From Left to Right: Kerry Peck, Diana Law and Ed Boyer.

Last month, I had the opportunity to not only attend the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys conference, but also be a presenter….and it didn’t hurt that it was in Orlando, Florida at Disney World. I spoke with my good colleagues Diana Law, of Law Elder Law, and Ed Boyer, of Boyer & Jackson.

The topic of choice was Restoration Hearings: removing a guardian because the ward is no longer “disabled”. Restoration is rare, but not improbable. The basis for a determination of disability by the probate court may be reversed when the disabled person has dramatically improved. During a restoration hearing, medical evidence is presented which demonstrates that the disabled person is now capable of making personal and financial decisions and suffered from a medical condition that has vastly improved.

*Example: John Doe gets into a car accident resulting in a closed head brain injury and severe physical injury. He needs full time care and can no longer manage his estate; therefore, a guardian is appointed. Three years later after physical therapy, rehabilitation, multiple surgeries and drug treatments John is back to full capacity and no longer requires a guardian.

But the recovery does not always need to be this cut and dry. The ward does not need to be able to perform every task in regard to managing his estate and care himself. One issue is: has the disabled person recovered sufficiently enough to communicate to others “responsible decisions” regarding their care?

A restoration hearing is similar to a guardianship hearing because the bottom line is the same: What is in the ward’s best interest? What is the best way to safeguard the ward’s rights? The restoration process is rarely successful except in cases in which the disabled person has a severe temporary disability or a severe disability which improves in an incredible fashion.