“Dimond’s ambitious book We’re Here to Help uncovers the devastation caused by mercenary guardians and conservators who exploit their court-appointed powers over vulnerable people. . . . With elements of true crime and self-help, We’re Here to Help advocates for systemic reform as it diagrams the labyrinth of guardian and conservator legal proceedings via wrenching cautionary tales.”

Foreword Reviews

“This book provides clear evidence of the problems within the US guardianship and conservatorship system and how easily it can affect anyone at any time. Readers interested in law, civil rights, and stories about everyday people will be drawn in quickly, but it’s a book for everyone.”

Library Journal

“Recommended.” 

Choice

“We’re Here to Help is very well written. The book is both easy to read and well documented. The author provides readers with a snapshot of the national landscape by telling stories of celebrities and ordinary citizens alike who have been victimized in state guardianship proceedings.” 

Thomas F. Coleman, the Spectrum Institute’s Quarterly E-Newsletter

“We’re Here to Help: When Guardianship Goes Wrong is a rare and illuminating book about how guardianships and conservatorships are routinely mishandled in our courts. Dimond’s well researched case studies of how judges, lawyers, and guardians collude to profit from the fortunes of the elderly and the disabled are an eye-opener. We’re Here to Help is a testament to the immediate need for reform of our guardianship/conservatorship laws.” 

Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell (Ret.), author of Her Honor: My Life on the Bench. . . What Works, What’s Broken, How to Change It

“Dimond has written a searing, insightful examination of guardianship that all too often fails those it is supposed to help. As Dimond reveals by close investigation of guardianships gone bad, it is too susceptible to exploitation and theft, and worse, abuse of the so-called ‘incapacitated’ person. Dimond identifies the need for adequate funding of oversight and supervision of guardians. The need is great. The time to act is now.”

Lawrence A. Frolik, professor of law emeritus and distinguished professor of law, University of Pittsburgh School of Law

“A tenacious reporter and skillful writer, Dimond uses compelling stories of real people to pull back the curtain on a guardianship system shrouded in secrecy where power, greed, and influence all too often intersect with devastating consequences for the people the system is intended to protect —and their loved ones. A powerful book.” 

Kent Walz, lawyer, journalist, and former editor-in-chief of The Albuquerque Journal

“These stories will break your heart. Private stories and public, the pattern emerges: warring siblings or estranged spouses, a willingness to destroy a person’s waning years to pirate their sometimes substantial estates, all with regrettably minimal judicial oversight. Dimond reports fairly, giving competing versions of events equal space. If you read one book this year, We’re Here to Help: When Guardianship Goes Wrong should be it.” 

Jack Furlong, attorney at Furlong and Krasny, New Jersey

“Dimond’s explanation of what has gone wrong—and continues to go wrong—in our nation’s court system is timely and important information for all of us. To those who truly want to protect incapacitated adults, I urge you to please read this book.” 

Lisa MacCarley, conservatorship attorney, California