Unless you're going through it, it's impossible to know how it feels to be absolutely helpless, unable to protect your loved one from being ravished by  Lawyers and Banks using their so-called law as their weapon of choice.

It's been equally impossible for me to express how devastating it feels to sit in the Courtroom hearing after hearing and watch the Judge rubberstamp their fees and their every request without so much as a passing thought of my Grandmother's welfare or a concern of her wishes.  It's absolutely paralyzing.

The closest example I can give is to ask you to imagine you're a member of the dance band on the Titanic.  Remember? The Titanic was going down, there was absolutely no question about it, but the band played on.  When  all the lifeboats were gone and all hope was gone with them, the dance band kept playing.

It's like that --- my precious Grandmother was going down just like the Titanic, there was no question they were going to take her down; but like the band, I kept trying to do my best to make it better for her.

The Lawyer's "Rules of Professional Conduct" state:  The legal profession is largely self-governing.  That statement sums up why the respect given to a once noble profession is nearly gone and has been replaced by ridicule and fodder for jokes.  The fox is in charge of the henhouse.

The Lawyers have sewn up the guardianship racket very neatly.  To contest a guardianship accounting, you've got to be able to hire yourself a Lawyer to take the financial Guardian on.  So, you're faced right away with a decision -- if you suspect your loved one is being taken advantage for $5,000 for instance, does it make sense to spend probably more than that hiring a Lawyer?  But if you decide it's a matter of principle and it makes sense that the Banks and Lawyers profiting from taking advantage of your loved one should be stopped, and you go ahead and hire the Lawyer to fight for your defenseless person, you'll find yourself in the Courtroom looking up at a Judge who treats you like a trouble maker, probably a thief and at the very best, a second or third class citizen.  The Judge always awards the Banks and the Lawyers their fees.  So, now, you've been to Court on the principle that defenseless people, like your loved one,  need to be protected by the Court.  The law that claims to be doing just that is all the while doing the exact opposite.  Now you find yourself out more than $5,000 and the Judge is awarding the Bank and the Lawyers probably twice that.  The Bank and the Lawyers aren't spending their money in Court -- they're spending the Ward's money.  You're spending yours --- they're spending the very money you're trying to protect from their plundering.  In the final analysis, your efforts to protect your person from $5,000 of unjust billing  has cost you more than $5,000  and has cost your loved one likely $10,000 --- plus the original $5,000.  It's always win/win for the Lawyers and the Bank.  

The Lawyers and Banks have no trouble laying their heads on their pillows at night and sleeping soundly.

In the end, it's easier to just let them take advantage of your person.  It's cheaper for the person you're trying to protect if you just turn that person over to them, shut your eyes,  and hold your breath.

Meanwhile, the law is still protecting the Lawyers.  Your only chance to complain is at the accounting hearing. If you don't complain, if you can't afford to complain at the hearing,  well that's tough --- you've had your chance.  The law says it certainly can't go back and re-visit any issues, well the truth is the Judge revisits anything he/she wants but if a Judge doesn't want you to be heard, well then, he/she comes out with the state Rules of Court and points to the law which so conveniently says he/she is unable to re-visit issues.

You're playing poker with people concealing all the aces up their sleeves.   And they're smiling, knowing no matter what you do, they're going to get the pot and you're going home busted.    That's how it feels. Meanwhile, while you're spending your time trying to protect your person, that's convenient for them too because if you're tired and worn out, you're more likely to just give up.                                                         

What they don't like, what they absolutely hate, is for people to know what they're doing.  They like to keep it quiet, within the confines and protection of the Court.  So, like the dance band on the Titanic, we've got to keep playing, no matter what, keep playing!      

*borrowed from Harry Chapin's song,
 "Dance Band on the Titanic"