Curatorship, administration, and tutorship are protective measures to help adults with reduced competence (e.g. due to mental disability, dementia or addiction) to make decisions or to enter into agreements.

The district court can appoint a curator, administrator or mentor. The person concerned can ask for this himself or herself, but so can the partner and family members up to four times removed (parents, grandparents, etc.). The guardian can also request this when the person concerned is still a minor.

Curatorship

Curatorship is intended for people who cannot take care of their financial and personal affairs themselves. The curator makes decisions about finances, care, nursing, treatment or supervision of the person concerned. The law considers the person under guardianship to be legally incompetent.

Administration

Administration is intended for people who are not or no longer able to handle their financial affairs properly. The administrator makes decisions about the finances and the property of the person concerned. Adults under administration remain legally competent. They can therefore still perform juristic acts independently.

Mentorship for personal decisions

Mentorship is intended for people who can no longer take care of their personal affairs themselves. The mentor makes decisions about the care, nursing, treatment or supervision of the person concerned. Someone who has a mentor does however remain legally competent.