Strengthening guardianship monitoring with AI

Adapted from "Guardianship Monitoring Portal" in AI Readiness for State Courts.

What the AI tool does

Nevada's guardianship monitoring portal uses AI to detect signs of fraud, particularly in financial reporting, and sends alerts to the court. The system allows for automated integration of financial information through Plaid integration, which connects with bank accounts to ensure accuracy.

Identifying the need

The court wanted to evaluate legislative changes made in 2017 to understand how these changes impacted guardianship monitoring. The court partnered with NCSC to assess the district court's ability to gather data and evaluate guardianship practices. The assessment found that a standard and secure process for monitoring was badly needed — in fact, some courts were using sticky notes to track cases because they didn't have any other resources. The results of the assessment, along with a feasibility study conducted by the court, led to the development of a new portal that assists with improved data collection and better guardianship monitoring practices. 

Design, development & testing

The portal's design was informed by the initial assessment, feasibility study, and stakeholder feedback processes. The portal was initially developed using one software platform. When testing revealed that the platform wasn't as flexible as it needed to be, the portal was migrated to a different platform. 

Implementation & evaluation

The major goal was to develop a system that makes reporting easier and more efficient for guardians, as well as improving the district courts' ability to monitor cases. Many court staff are overworked and under-resourced, and the process of monitoring guardianship cases requires more time and skills than many staff possess (especially when it comes to financial accounting). The court needed a system that would both make the reporting process more efficient and also detect signs of financial fraud that may be missed by human reviewers. Through user group feedback, the court has been able to determine that the portal is performing well and meeting these goals.

What's next

The project is set to roll out in October 2025.