The Florida Senate

744.397  Application of income of property of ward.--

(1)  The court may authorize the guardian of the property to apply the ward's income, first to the ward's care, support, education, and maintenance, and then for the care, support, education, maintenance, cost of final illness, and cost of funeral and burial or cremation of the parent, spouse, or dependents, if any, of the ward, to the extent necessary. If the income is not sufficient for these purposes, the court may authorize the expenditure of part of the principal for such purposes from time to time.

(2)  The word "dependents," as used in subsection (1) means, in addition to those persons who are legal dependents of a ward under existing law, the person or persons whom the ward is morally or equitably obligated to aid, assist, maintain, or care for, including, but not limited to, such persons as the indigent spouse of the ward, based upon the showing of an existing need and an ability of the estate of the ward to pay for, provide, or furnish the aid, assistance, maintenance, or care without unreasonably jeopardizing the care, support, and maintenance of the ward.

(3)  If the ward is a minor and the ward's parents are able to care for him or her and to support, maintain, and educate him or her, the guardian of the minor shall not so use his or her ward's property unless directed or authorized to do so by the court.

History.--s. 1, ch. 74-106; ss. 16, 26, ch. 75-222; s. 66, ch. 89-96; s. 50, ch. 90-271; s. 1099, ch. 97-102.

Note.--Created from former s. 744.64.