One important note: make sure your mother's will is the way she wants it before you do the guardianship, because once that is done, the will cannot be changed.

One important note: make sure your mother's will is the way she wants it before you do the guardianship, because once that is done, the will cannot be changed. My grandma's attorney never took this step with me, he had drawn up her will, and it contained errors that could not be fixed after the guardianship was granted. We were lucky that things worked out okay, but if my mom had died before my uncle, all of my grandma's assets would have gone to him, with none going to my mom's side of the family, and we were the ones taking care of her! "Per stirpes" was omitted in the will. Two words -- huge difference in meaning.