Lisa MacCarley
“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.”
Jack Furlong
“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.”
Kent Walz
“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.”
Choice
“Recommended.”
Foreword Reviews
“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.
Judge LaDoris Hazzard Cordell (Ret.)
“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.”
Lawrence A. Frolik
“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.
Library Journal
★ 09/01/2023
One of the biggest news stories in recent years was the conservatorship ruling about pop star Britney Spears. Her case played a significant part in exposing the corruption of the U.S. guardianship and conservatorship system. While Spears had support from the general public, many others find themselves under the rule of a guardian with no way out. Award-winning investigative journalist/syndicated columnist Dimond (Thinking Outside the Crime and Justice Box) dives deep into those issues from the perspectives of both the people who were placed under a guardianship and their loved ones who tried everything to get them out. Their testimonials enhance Dimond's extensive research that shows that many people lose their rights and freedom due to poorly regulated state courts and people seeking financial gain. The book includes feasible action items people can take to protect themselves. VERDICT This book provides clear evidence of the problems within the U.S. 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.—Leah Fitzgerald
