When Christopher was placed under guardianship, he said, “I didn’t know what I was getting myself into and I didn’t have a choice.” Starry RolesĬhristopher made his name starring in ‘General Hospital,’ where the IMDb database says he appeared in 1,150 episodes from 1996-2016, and ‘Days of Our Lives,’ where he appeared in 155 shows from 2001-2019. “There are different requirements that would apply to them that would allow for more opportunities for problems to go unnoticed.” “I think there are more loopholes for family guardians than for others,” she said. While many family members become guardians with best intentions, Whitlatch said, they may not be fully prepared for the legal process they are entering. Yet some states set less stringent training and oversight standards for family members than professional guardians, said Morgan Whitlatch, a lawyer and director with the Center for Public Representation public interest law firm. Studies have found that family members serve as the majority of guardians in other localities too since detailed data on US guardianships is scant, it’s not possible to pinpoint a national figure. In Palm Beach County, family members and non-professionals are guardians in two-thirds to three-fourths of cases, said Palmieri. Abuses are typically “a lot more egregious” when professionals are involved, he said. “So, we see just as many issues with family and non-professional guardians as with professional guardians,” said Palmieri, deputy inspector general of the Palm Beach Clerk of the Circuit Court & Comptroller. While large-scale fraud cases from Nevada to New Mexico to Florida have exposed criminal guardians and lawyers, family members can also be susceptible to problems, said Anthony Palmieri, former president of the National Guardianship Association. Family members, not always formally trained before taking the role, must contend with the medical or mental health impairments of their kin, but also write checks, manage their affairs, and even buy or sell properties. And like that of artist Peter Max, whose case has been engulfed in so many legal disputes a judge called it “toxic,” Christopher’s guardianship escalated family legal entanglements.įor families, entering into formal guardianships can be tricky terrain. All the while, probate courts typically provide a flimsy safety net of protection for those under guardianship.Īs in the case of pop star Britney Spears, Christopher’s experience shows how guardianships can become contentious even when family is involved. Family Conflictīloomberg Law’s ongoing investigation explores how guardianships deprive citizens of basic rights, often requiring them to get approval for everything from where to shop to who they can marry. If it clears her, Christopher would likely help cover the cost of the forensic accounting. If the review supports her brother’s contentions, Baker will be on the hook to pay him back. In April, the sister agreed to pay for a forensic accountant to examine her spending under the guardianship. The complications can ensnare everyone from nursing home residents to young adults with disabilities to Daytime Emmy-winning stars such as Christopher. Their tussle highlights the deep friction adult guardianships can cause amongst families. Shortly before the guardianship ended in 2021, she emailed her brother, “I would have never done you wrong, not before your injury, during or after and for some reason you think I need your money … I DO NOT TYLER!” She added, “Sad that you don’t even trust me. “If I hadn’t been his Guardian he’d be DEAD!” she wrote to Bloomberg Law. But in court papers, and in an email to Bloomberg Law, she said her actions protected her brother. His sister, Susan Asmo Baker, has defended her stewardship and described her brother’s complaints as unproven “allegations.”īaker declined an interview request to discuss the case. While he was under guardianship in Indiana, Christopher alleged in court papers, his sister misspent or improperly received reimbursement for $40,000 to pay down her own credit card debt, bankroll her move, even buy her son a MacBook. “I never thought in a million years that I would be taken advantage of by a family member,” Christopher, 50, said in an interview. And that, the veteran ‘ General Hospital’ performer said, is when his troubles truly began. While Christopher was recovering, his sister filed a petition in 2020 to put him under guardianship. Rushed to the hospital that day in November 2019, he underwent life-saving craniotomy surgery, with doctors drilling holes in his head to relieve pain and pressure. But this time, at home in Indiana, he hit his head on the back of the bathtub, fracturing his skull and causing bleeding on the brain. INDIANAPOLIS – Tyler Christopher, a daytime soap actor once married to actress Eva Longoria, fell in his bathroom as he withdrew from alcohol.
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