MHL § 81.38

§ 81.38 Vacancy in office.

(a) Interim guardian. A vacancy created by the death, removal, discharge, resignation, or suspension of a guardian shall be filled by the court. Upon the application of any person entitled to commence a proceeding under this article, the court shall appoint an interim guardian who shall serve for a period of ninety days or until a final accounting is filed and a successor guardian is appointed by the court. The powers and duties of the interim guardian shall be specifically enumerated in the order of appointment. The court may require service of the order to show cause seeking the appointment of an interim guardian on any persons it deems appropriate.

(b) Standby guardian. At the time of the appointment of the guardian, the court may in its discretion appoint a standby guardian to act in the event that the guardian shall resign, die, be removed, discharged, suspended, or become incapacitated. The court may also appoint an alternate and/or successive alternates to the standby guardian, to act if the standby guardian shall resign, die, be removed, discharged, suspended, or become incapacitated. Such standby guardian, or the alternate in the event of the standby guardian's resignation, death, removal, discharge, suspension or adjudication of incapacity, shall without further proceedings be empowered to immediately assume the duties of office immediately upon resignation, death, removal, discharge, suspension or adjudication of incapacity, of the guardian or the standby guardian as set forth in the order of appointment, subject only to the confirmation of appointment by the court sixty days following the assumption of the duties of the office. Before confirming the appointment of a standby guardian, the court may conduct a hearing in accordance with the provisions set forth in section 81.11 of this article upon petition of any person entitled to commence a proceeding under this article.