Overview
- The Cabinet approved a Civil Code amendment to overhaul adult guardianship, sending the bill to the Diet for debate.
- The bill abolishes the guardian and conservator tiers, creating a single assistant role with court-set powers limited to named matters for set periods, with courts required to weigh the person's wishes.
- For people judged to lack capacity at all times, a new special assistance track can authorize cancellations for 11 key money or property acts based on diagnoses from at least two doctors, drawing concern from some rights advocates.
- Only about 257,000 people now use the system, a small share compared with dementia cases, and bank account freezes have often forced families to apply for guardianship.
- Current users can remain under existing orders or switch to the new regime, and the package also allows digital wills created on a computer or smartphone.