guardianship

noun | \ ˈgär-dē-ən \ | guard·ian

1. : one who has or is entitled or legally appointed to the care and management of the person or property of another — compare committee, conservator, curator, receiver, tutor

   — guardian ad litem
   : a guardian appointed by a court to represent in a particular lawsuit the interests of a minor, a person not yet born, or a person judged incompetent

   — guardian by nature
   : natural guardian in this entry

   — natural guardian
   : a guardian by natural relationship having custody of the person but not the property of a minor Note: Under common law the father is considered the natural guardian of a child until his death or incapacitation, whereupon the mother becomes the natural guardian. Many states have passed statutes giving both parents equal rights as guardians.

   — statutory guardian
   : a guardian appointed by statutory authority

   — testamentary guardian
   : a person named in a will to serve as a guardian