August 18, 2023 –  Attorney Ashwani Prabhakar in the Trusts & Estates Law practice spoke to NBC’s Today regarding conservatorships for their article, “What is a conservatorship? The system at the heart of Michael Oher’s case explained”.

This story follows the recent revelation that Michael Oher, the inspiration for the acclaimed movie “The Blind Side,” was placed under a conservatorship.

Prabhakar noted that conservatorship laws vary between states, but a person’s incapacitation must be proven in court. Prabhakar also believes that there should be high bar to meet to establish a conservatorship, as it results in an adult having their basic self-determination taken away, and that Oher has not demonstrated signs of mental incapacity.

Prabhakar shared that much closer scrutiny must be paid at the time a conservatorship is initiated. And that conservatorships are currently taken too lightly when they involve the debate over human rights and autonomy, and that each instance of a conservatorship should also include an attorney to act on the allegedly incapacitated person’s best interests.

To read the full article, click here.