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The Michigan Elder Justice Initiative (MEJI) announces the launch of the Michigan Advancing Guardianship Innovations Center (MAGIC), a new program aimed at maximizing autonomy and dignity in Michigan’s adult guardianship system. This work is supported by a generous two-year grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund.

MEJI Systemic Advocacy Attorney Nicole Shannon noted that the "brazen" alleged actions of the defendants highlight the weaknesses in the guardianship and conservatorship system and reinforce the need for real reforms to provide more robust protection for vulnerable individuals.

On November 5, MEJI was delighted to receive a generous grant from the Michigan Health Endowment Fund to establish a statewide center to address systemic flaws in Michigan's adult guardianship system. The grant will launch the Michigan Advancing Guardianship Innovation Center (MAGIC). MAGIC will serve as a hub for education, collaboration, and innovation, ensuring that reforms are embedded in practice.

On November 4, Alison Hirschel, MEJI's Program Director and Managing Attorney, testified in support of Senate Bills 585 and 586. Senate Bill 585 offers protection from an all-too-common scenario: sale of a property for what appears to be less than market value.

On Wednesday, June 4, the Michigan House Judiciary Committee heard testimony from MEJI's Nicole Shannon on House Bills 4418-4419, which would permit family members to consent to medical treatment on behalf of incapacitated loved ones. Michigan is an outlier, as the vast majority of other states already have similar provisions in place. These bills represent years of hard work from the Michigan Attorney General's Elder Abuse Task Force and MEJI staff. "These bills represent a common sense alternative to guardianship that is already in place across the country. It is time for Michigan to join," said Shannon.

It was a disappointing day in Lansing for advocates of guardianship reform. A senate committee did not vote on several bills that would change Michigan's guardianship laws.

“It sounds as if this person took a lot of steps to make clear what it is that they wanted. They wanted to ensure that their son was going to be able to remain in this home long term,” Nicole Shannon, MEJI Staff Attorney, told WXYZ.