guard·ian /'gär-dē-ən/ n: one who has or is entitled or legally appointed to the care and management of the person or property of another compare committee, conservator, curator, receiver, tutor
guardian ad li·tem /-ad-'lī-təm, -äd-'lē-tem/: a guardian appointed by a court to represent in a particular lawsuit the interests of a minor, a person not yet born, or a person judged incompetent
guardian by nature: natural guardian in this entry
natural guardian: a guardian by natural relationship having custody of the person but not the property of a minor
◇ Under common law the father is considered the natural guardian of a child until his death or incapacitation, whereupon the mother becomes the natural guardian. Many states have passed statutes giving both parents equal rights as guardians.
statutory guardian: a guardian appointed by statutory authority
testamentary guardian: a person named in a will to serve as a guardian
guard·ian·ship n
Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary of Law. Merriam-Webster. 1996.