If It Happened To Wendy, It Can Happen To You: Guardianship and Adult Abuse

By now I’m sure you’ve either heard of, or watched the eye opening, Where is Wendy Williams two part documentary on Lifetime. The 59 year old multimillionaire, media personality’s guardianship case has the internet buzzing, with everyone trying to figure out how a complete stranger was placed over her affairs, the apparent abuse and neglect that has taken place, and the exclusion of her family from her medical care and well being.

At first, all people could do was speculate, because Williams guardianship case was sealed, but according to The Sun, this appears to be an intricate scheme that involves a New York judge, and some money hungry lawyers (yes, her guardian is a lawyer).

Chronicles Speaks on YouTube did a great breakdown of what is going on based on a lawsuit that Wendy’s current guardian is entangled in. According to the YouTuber, the guardian, Sabrina Morrissey is currently being sued by a former guardianship client for $30 million dollars for theft, after placing him under an unwarranted guardianship.

It appears these lawyers seek out people with money, somehow have them to sign documentation saying they can not take care of their own finances or in Williams case - have the bank to alert the courts, then get judges like Lisa Sokoloff who is presiding over Williams case, to give them guardianship. Once the guardianship is obtained, these guardians drain the bank accounts of their clients with frivolously legal fees, on top of their guardianship fee. It also appears that once a person is placed in a guardianship in the State of New York, it is damn near impossible for them to get out of the arrangement. Click here to watch the full video by Chronicles Speaks.

Although a lot of people felt the documentary shouldn’t have aired, because it showed Williams at her lowest point, it did shed light on the reality of her situation. Unfortunately, we don’t talk about adult abuse and neglect, the way we do with children, but the reality is that it is a major issue. 1 in 10 Americans ages 60+ have experienced some form of abuse in this country.

If you are not familiar with adult abuse, here are the most common types:

• Physical Abuse

• Emotional or Psychological abuse

• Sexual Abuse

• Neglect or Abandonment by Caregivers

• Financial Exploitation

• Healthcare Fraud & Abuse

The Where is Wendy Williams documentary revealed that Wendy is experiencing a combination of four types of adult abuse; emotional abuse, neglect and abandonment by caregivers, financial exploitation, and healthcare abuse.

So what can we - Generation X - learn from Wendy Willams case when it comes to protecting ourselves as we become older? Get your paperwork in order! No matter how much or how little you have, please sit down with an estate attorney and develop a plan. Have a formal will drawn up, in addition to documentation that gives power of authority to someone you trust to make decisions on your behalf if you should ever become unable to attend to your own affairs (mentally or physically). And if you have your money in Wells Fargo, please find a new bank!

Also, if you do not have life insurance, please check into that as well. Yes, we are all going to die and funerals are not cheap. The last thing you should want your family worrying about is how to get your remains from the undertaker who’s holding them hostage until someone can come up with the money to pay to have you buried, or cremated. Don’t put your family in that type of predicament.

AARP and AAA offer great rates on life insurance for members, and they usually don’t require a physical exam or blood work. You can also check with your current home/car insurance provider, but I’ve found them to sometimes be a little pricey and most require you to have a physical exam done by one of their healthcare providers. If you are employed, make a visit to HR and inquire about the different types of insurance, in addition to the health coverage they provide.

Now if you are still struggling to wrap your head around all of this and feeling a little overwhelmed, check out Having The Last Say: A Guide to End of Life Planning by Dr. Catovia. It is a short guide that outlines the steps you need to take to start getting your affairs in order.

Whatever you do, don’t wait until you are old(er) and have one foot in the grave to do your estate planning. Life can happen to any of us at any time. And as Wendy chillingly reminds us, “If it can happen to me, it can happen to you!”

Comment below. What did you think of the documentary on Wendy Williams? Do you have your legal affairs in order if something were to happen to you? If not, what is stopping you?