When our client John lost his wife to cancer, he was left to take care of their two children, ages 19 and 10 years old. John is a dishwasher and works long hours to provide for his boys. This is especially hard since his older son is autistic, non-verbal, and has intellectual disabilities. John assists his son with day-to-day tasks like brushing his teeth, bathing and cooking meals. He contacted Legal Aid because now that his son is over 18, John has no legal authority to make decisions for his son or seek assistance from any public or private programs. Legal Aid of Manasota was able to help get John appointed as Guardian Advocate through the court in order to grant him the authority to assist his son in applying for government benefits and to enroll him in school, consent to medical treatment and therapy, and to continue to assist his son with the routine tasks of daily life.
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