Excellent article by Donna S. Harkness on Tennessee’s version of the Uniform Adult Guardianship and Protective Proceedings Jurisdiction Act. For those unfamiliar with the UAGPPJA, here is a short overview:
- An increasing elderly population combined with an increasing geographically disperse population has led to an increasing number of issues regarding where to file for a guardianship or conservatorship.
- For instance, in Harkness’s article, a daughter who lived in Tennessee was concerned about her father who had been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s and who lived in Alabama.
- To address these issues, in 2007, the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws released the Uniform Adult Guardianship and Protective Proceedings Jurisdiction Act.
- Between states that have adopted the UAGPPJA, there is a framework for addressing jurisdictional issues in protective proceedings.
- Currently, 20 states have adopted the Act, including Alabama, Alaska, Arizona, Colorado, Delaware, District of Columbia, Iowa, Illinois, Maryland, Minnesota, Montana, Nevada, North Dakota, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Washington and West Virginia.
- Unfortunately, for people living in Memphis, although Tennessee has adopted the UAGPPJA, neither Arkansas nor Mississippi have adopted the Act.
