Björn Rittershaus

My first encounter with the work of a legal guardian came through personal experience. A close relative fell seriously ill from one day to the next and was no longer able to manage his own legal affairs. He therefore asked me to take on his legal guardianship and, from then on, to look after his legal matters on his behalf wherever necessary and desired, and to represent his interests and wishes. I was very glad to honour that wish, until his death from the illness around two and a half years later. For people who mean a great deal to you, you gladly give your very best.

Later, during my self-employed advisory work in the real estate and finance sector, I realised that here too I was regularly — essentially on a voluntary basis — lending a hand to other people who were no longer coping so well on their own: filling in an application for basic income support (Bürgergeld) for one person, working through and explaining a medical service report for another, and so on. Time and again I found that these supportive activities gave me a good deal of joy and satisfaction. And why not make your main profession out of something that genuinely brings you joy and satisfaction?

All these experiences have also sharpened my understanding of what people in difficult situations actually need: reliable orientation, clear procedures, and someone who remains calm and capable of acting at their side even when much has become confusing for them.

As a legal guardian, I see my task primarily as putting my clients' legal affairs in order with empathy and good judgement, always respecting the wishes of the person under guardianship and preserving — and where possible rebuilding — their self-determination and remaining ability to act independently.

Alongside legal guardianship, my interest and my passion lie in inheritance law and the settlement of all matters relating to estates, which is why I also work with great commitment and success as a court-appointed estate curator and as an executor of wills.

Legal guardianship serves to clarify necessary questions, to put procedures in order and to represent the person under guardianship in important matters. In doing so I work in a structured way and take my bearings from what is actually possible in each situation.

Not everything that seems desirable can be implemented. Responsibilities, funding options and practical feasibility must always be taken into account. The following approach has proven effective for reliable cooperation:

• communicate your concerns in writing wherever possible
• set out the facts clearly and as specifically as possible
• attach any necessary documents or information directly
• allow sufficient time for review and processing
• develop solutions together within the scope of what is possible

Your concerns will be reviewed promptly and dealt with within the scope of what is possible — calmly and in a structured manner, rather than through constant personal availability.

Legal guardianship is guided first and foremost by the wishes of the person under guardianship. What is decisive is neither my own idea of what would be right, nor the expectations of relatives or others involved on their own.

Particularly in situations where much has been thrown off balance, it is important to remain calm, to provide orientation and to prepare decisions in a comprehensible way. Taking these wishes seriously and examining together what is possible under the given circumstances forms the basis of every decision.

The aim is to preserve self-determination as far as possible while providing support wherever matters can no longer be managed reliably on one's own. A structured way of working is not an end in itself: it serves to maintain an overview even in complex situations and to act reliably — which ultimately always benefits the person under guardianship.