Guardianship for an adult 

A guardian is only appointed if the person's affairs will otherwise not be appropriately managed. Visit our website to read more about alternatives to guardianship.  

If the person understands the significance of the matter, they should prepare a continuing power of attorney. There they can state who is allowed to manage their affairs and in which manner.  

You can apply for a guardian to be appointed for yourself or another person.  

• How to apply for a guardian for yourself  
• How to report a person in need of guardianship

On the same site, you will find out how long the processing of your application will take and how much it will cost. 

We check the submitted documents and, if necessary, hear the persons related to the matter.  

If the application is about appointing a guardian for another person and we believe that there is a need for guardianship, we will submit an application to the District Court for the appointment of a guardian. 

Please note that the process is not fast.  

The guardian may start performing their duties once they have received a positive decision. Until then, alternatives to guardianship are to be used to the extent possible. You can try to prevent financial harm by contacting various parties concerned to, for example, request more payment time for invoices. 

The guardian's task begins on the date on which the decision is issued or on another date specified in the decision. 

We will send the guardian instructions on how to perform their duties when the task begins. 

The guardian must submit the property inventory and its appendices to us within three months of the start of the task. Read more about preparing a property inventory. 

Property inventory template (adult client) (in Finnish) 

Instructions for preparing a property inventory (in Finnish)

If the client receives property later, the guardian must provide us with a list of the property received within one month of its reception. If the client becomes a shareholder in an estate of a deceased person, the guardian must submit the estate inventory to us within a month of the estate inventory being settled. 

The guardian must 

• keep a record of their client’s assets and debts and the transactions carried out during the accounting period. 
• submit this information to us for annual review, i.e., prepare an annual statement
• if necessary, apply from us for permission for certain actions, such as the sale of their client's apartment
• apply from us for the appointment of a substitute guardian if they are disqualified or temporarily prevented from representing their client due to, for example, illness or long absence.

Read more about the duties of a guardian.

Guardianship may come to an end for the following reasons:  

• the client dies 
• the guardian has performed the task for which they were appointed 
• the task of a substitute guardian comes to an end even though the guardianship continues 
• the period set for the guardianship ends 
• the need for guardianship ends 
• the guardian wants to give up their duties 
• the guardian dies 
• the client moves abroad. 

Read more about what to do in each situation on our website.  

When the guardianship comes to an end, the guardian must submit a final statement to us within two months. Read more about preparing a final statement.