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Guardianship and managing the affairs of another person 

If a person becomes unable to manage their own affairs due to, for example, an illness or disability, a solution must be found for managing their affairs on their behalf. For example, the person's affairs can be managed by a family member with the help of Suomi.fi e-Authorizations or a continuing power of attorney. We will first introduce these alternatives for managing the affairs of another person, in other words, the lighter alternatives to guardianship. You can only apply for the appointment of a guardian if the other alternatives are not sufficient.  

What are the options for managing the affairs of someone close to you?  

A close relative or other trusted person can support another person in managing their financial affairs if the person's physical capacity has deteriorated but they understand the significance of the matter, for example. The trusted person can manage affairs that the person is unable to manage due to their limitations. For example, the person can understand the importance of paying their bills, is able to sign the occasional invoices that are not charged automatically, and can place them in payment service envelopes. The trusted person can then take the envelope and drop it in a mailbox. 

In addition, a close relative or other trusted person may  

  • apply for pension or other benefits, if the person is unable to claim the benefit themselves or protect their related rights 
  • consent to the treatment of a patient who is unable to give their consent 
  • participate in the service planning process of a social welfare client when the client is unable to do so themselves or does not understand the proposed alternatives or their impacts.

New: at the Guardianship e-service you can make a property invertory, a final statement and apply for permits online. The e-service is available in Finnish and Swedish language.

Guardianship e-service

Guardian or attorney, are you going to send us a form? 

You can submit the annual statement with attachments via the online form. See instructions for

Please also note:

What if the above options are not sufficient? 

The above options might not suffice if 

  • the person’s ability to manage their affairs or authorise another person is limited or prevented by their deteriorated health or comprehension or an accident 
  • the person does not have anyone supporting or helping them in their daily life 
  • the person is absent and unable to look after their own interests. 

If the person in need of support has previously granted a continuing power of attorney, the assignee must apply for validation of their power of attorney from us when the person has become unable to manage their own affairs.  

If the person has not written a continuing power of attorney, a guardian can be appointed to manage the affairs of the person. A guardian is only appointed if the person is unable to manage their own affairs due to a health issue and the affairs cannot be managed in any other way. Read more about guardianship and the duties of a guardian.

Processing time

Permissions of the guardianship authority

  • 1,5–3 months

Appointments of the guardianship

  • 5–6 months

In case of an application being filed to the District Court, the processing time will be longer than stated above.

Annual statements

  • 5–7 months

  • The audit of the 2022 annual statements is still in progress. Don't worry if you haven't gotten your audited statement back yet - you will get it as soon as we've verified it. We apologize for the delay.

    Please note that the annual statement for 2023 must be completed on time, i.e. no later than 31 March 2024, even if you have not yet received the audited statement for the previous year. You can submit the annual statement and its attachments most easily using the online form.

Confirmation of a continuing power of attorney

  • 2–3 months

Price list

Forms for guardianship

You can find all forms for guardianship and continuing power of attorney on our forms page (in Finnish).

To forms

Do you need help?

Telephone service: 0295 536 256

Service hours: Mon–Fri 9–15. 

Our chat service is temporarily unavailable in English.

 

Population of Finland 5 646 811