Resources › The justice system › Guardianship

Guardianship: financial guardian, personal guardian and power of attorney

guardian guardianship power of attorney financial guardian

Draft, translated: translated from the Norwegian original with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is the authoritative one. See the Norwegian original →

When someone can no longer look after their own interests, due to illness, disability or age, a guardian can be appointed. Here's the difference between a financial and personal guardian, and a power of attorney as an alternative.

Norwegian original last checked against official sources: 30 September 2026. Rules and figures change, so always check the official site before you act.

If someone can no longer look after their own interests, financially or personally, a guardian can be appointed. This can apply to a child approaching 18 with a lasting need for help, a parent with dementia, or someone you are next of kin to whose health has become seriously impaired.

What is guardianship?

Guardianship means that a person (the guardian) is given the task of looking after the interests of another person (the person under guardianship), because that person cannot manage it themselves due to illness, injury or disability. It is the County Governor (Statsforvalteren) who establishes guardianship and appoints the guardian.

Guardianship should be as limited as possible, and should follow the wishes of the person under guardianship. It is in principle a voluntary arrangement, not compulsion, and the guardian should provide decision-making support in consultation with the person, not just decide on their own.

Financial guardian or personal guardian?

Guardianship can cover financial matters, personal matters, or both:

• A financial guardian can, among other things, manage income to cover fixed expenses such as rent, electricity and insurance, and represent the person under guardianship with NAV, the bank and other bodies on financial matters.
• A personal guardian can assist with personal matters that do not concern finances, for example applications for health and care services.

The mandate, that is, what the guardian is actually allowed to do, is set specifically by the County Governor in each individual case.

Power of attorney: an alternative you set up yourself

A power of attorney (fremtidsfullmakt) is an alternative to guardianship that you set up while you are still able to understand what it involves. You decide for yourself who should look after your interests, and what the power of attorney should cover, for the day you may no longer manage it yourself, for example due to dementia or serious illness.

The advantage is more self-determination and less public involvement than with ordinary guardianship, since the County Governor does not normally carry out ongoing supervision of a power of attorney the way they do with guardianship. The disadvantage is that it must be set up well in advance, while the person still has the capacity to consent; it cannot be set up after the need has already arisen.

How do you apply for guardianship?

You can apply for guardianship for yourself, or for another person if you are a close relative, a doctor or treating physician, or represent the institution or municipality the person receives services from. You can find the application form and guidance at vergemal.no, and the application is sent to the County Governor in the county where the person lives.

Children approaching 18

Parents are automatically the guardian of their own children under 18. If the child has a lasting need for help that does not end when they come of age, you can apply for an adult guardianship to be established before the child turns 18, so that there is no gap in the help. See also Respite care and care allowance, Next of kin rights and Child coordinator.

Does it cost anything?

If you are a parent, spouse, cohabitant or child of the person you are guardian for, you normally do not get paid for the guardianship role, unless there are special grounds. If you are a guardian for someone you are not closely related to, a fixed annual payment may be given. The person under guardianship generally covers the costs themselves, but if they have low income and assets, the County Governor covers it instead.

Do you need help along the way?

The application process can feel heavy. See Free legal aid if you need legal assistance, or write to us if you don't know where to start.

Tip: Guardianship is meant to help, not as a punishment or a sign that someone is no longer considered "adult enough". As limited a mandate as possible, tailored to what the person actually needs help with, is always the starting point.

Sources

• Vergemål.no. The state's guardianship portal (Norwegian)
• Lovdata. The Guardianship Act (Norwegian)

Kontaktpunkt24 gives general information, not legal advice. If you need help with your own case, contact a lawyer, a legal aid service, or the relevant authority.

This page is translated from Norwegian with the help of a language model, and may contain errors. The Norwegian version is always the authoritative one.