Guardianship of K.N.

In L.B. v. Chief Justice of the Probate & Family Court Dep’t, 474 Mass. 231, 232 (2016), this court held that a parent whose minor child is the subject of a guardianship petition pursuant to G. L. c. 190B, § 5-206, has a right to counsel in certain situations. The issue in this case is whether an indigent guardian who is the subject of a removal petition under G. L. c. 190B, § 5-212, is entitled to appointed counsel in the proceedings. We conclude that guardians who have established a de facto parent relationship with their wards do not have a liberty interest in that relationship such that…