Guardianship of Zaltman

We address an issue of first impression that was left unanswered by the Supreme Judicial Court in Guardianship of Hocker, 439 Mass. 709, 716 n.14 (2003) (see note 9, infra): May a nonindigent ward who has been adjudged incapable of making her own medical decisions retain a lawyer to represent her in a petition under G. L. c. 201, §§ 13 and 13A, seeking to discharge her guardianship and remove her guardian on the grounds that the guardianship is no longer necessary because of changed medical circumstances and the guardian is not fulfilling her fiduciary duties? We hold that, in the…