If a disabled adult only has financial income from Social Security or SSI checks, you might be able to avoid seeking a court ordered conservatorship by using the Social Security Administration (SSA) equivalent, called the representative payee. A representative payee, appointed by SSA after applying and providing medical documentation that the adult needs assistance in handling the check, will have the authority to cash the SSA/SSI check and use it for the adult's benefit.

Excerpted with permission from Advancing Smartly:  A Legal Handbook for Michigan Women Age 60+. Published by Elder Law of Michigan