Public Administrator

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Crawford County’s Public Administrator serves as the appointed guardian and/or conservator by the Court when an adult is found to be disabled or mentally incapacitated and cannot serve their own needs. This office may also be appointed the personal representative of a deceased person’s estate when there is no will, no heirs, or in the absence of any other person who might qualify to assume that responsibility. In some minor estates the Public Administrator is appointed conservator to protect the assets of the estate until the minor reaches the age of eighteen.
Guardian/Conservator cases comprise the majority of cases administered by this office. The Public Administrator is on-call twenty-four hours all throughout the year.

Terms

Guardianship: Having the responsibility of assisting a disabled and incompetent person in meeting their daily needs such as food, clothing, housing, and healthcare. A person under guardianship is referred to as a “Ward.”
Conservatorship: Having the responsibility of protecting, preserving and managing the assets of a minor or the assets of a disabled and incompetent person. A person under a conservatorship is referred to as a “Protectee.”
Personal Representative: A term used to describe the responsibility that is much the same as serving as a conservator, however the assets are from a deceased person’s estate. These assets are protected, preserved, and managed until the Court orders their distribution. Estates requiring a personal representative are referred to as “Decedent Estates.”

Links

Missouri Association of Public Administrators
National Guardianship Association
Social Security Administration
Missouri Department of Social Services