Guardian
Definition
A court-appointed person who bears legal responsibility and authority for another, known as the ward, for a specified period of time on account of that person's incapacity, typically due to age or disability. A guardian is distinct from a guardian ad litem, who is a person selected to represent an incompetent person in a single court proceeding. Although some jurisdictions use the terms guardian and conservator interchangeably, other jurisdictions distinguish a guardian, who has broad discretion to manage the personal affairs of the ward, from a conservator, who is a court-appointed person with limited power to manage the ward's financial and business affairs.