1. The court shall exercise the authority conferred in this chapter consistent with the maximum self-reliance and independence of the incapacitated person and make appointive and other orders only to the extent necessitated by the incapacitated person's actual mental and adaptive limitations or other conditions warranting the procedure. 2. At a hearing held under this chapter, the court shall: a. Hear evidence that the proposed ward is an incapacitated person. Age, eccentricity, poverty, or medical diagnosis alone is not sufficient to justify a finding of incapacity; b. Hear evidence and determine whether there are any existing general durable powers of attorney and durable powers of attorney for health care. If there are validly executed durable powers of attorney, the court shall consider the appointed attorneys in fact and agents appointed thereunder when assessing alternative resource plans and the need for a guardian; and c. Appoint a guardian and confer specific powers of guardianship only after finding in the record based on clear and convincing evidence that: (1) The proposed ward is an incapacitated person; (2) There is no available alternative resource plan that is suitable to safeguard the proposed ward's health, safety, or habilitation which could be used instead of a guardianship; (3) The guardianship is necessary as the best means of providing care, supervision, or habilitation of the ward; and (4) The powers and duties conferred upon the guardian are appropriate as the least restrictive form of intervention consistent with the ability of the ward for self-care. 3. Except upon specific findings of the court, a ward may not be deprived of any of the following legal rights: to vote, to seek to change marital status, or to obtain or retain a motor vehicle operator's license. 4. The court may find that the ward retains other specific rights. 5. The order appointing a guardian confers upon the guardian only those powers and duties specified in the order. In addition to any other powers conferred upon the guardian, the court's order must state whether the guardian has no authority, general authority, or limited authority to make decisions on behalf of the ward in each of the areas of residential, educational, medical, legal, vocational, and financial decisionmaking. A grant of limited authority must specify the limitations upon the authority of the guardian or the authority retained by the ward. The court's order must require the guardian to provide within ninety days from the date of the order a beginning inventory of all assets owned by the ward or in which the ward has an interest. The guardian shall provide a copy of the beginning inventory to those identified in section 30.1 -28-09.1. Unless terminated earlier by the court, an order appointing or reappointing a guardian under this section is effective for up to five years. At least ninety days before the expiration of the initial order of appointment or any following order of reappointment, the court shall request and consider information submitted by the guardian, ward, ward's attorney, if any, and any interested persons regarding whether the need for a guardian continues to exist. If it is recommended that the guardianship continue, the court may appoint a guardian ad litem, visitor, or all, in accordance with section 30.1 -28-03. The court shall hold a hearing on whether the guardianship should continue. Following the hearing and consideration of submitted information, the court may reappoint the guardian for up to another five years, allow the existing order to expire, or appoint a new guardian in accordance with this section. If a review hearing cannot be held before the expiration of an initial order for guardianship, the court may extend the initial order for up to an additional ninety days upon good cause shown. New letters of guardianship must be issued reflecting the extended expiration date. The supreme court, by rule or order, shall provide for the regular review of guardianship in existence on August 1, 2015. 6. Unless a court of competent jurisdiction determines otherwise, a durable power of attorney for health care executed pursuant to chapter 23 -06.5 takes precedence over any authority to make medical decisions granted to a guardian pursuant to chapter 30.1-28. 7. The court may require a guardian to furnish a bond in the amount and with sureties as the court specifies. 8. After the hearing, the guardian ad litem, visitor, and expert examiner must be discharged of their duties.
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