Conservatorships

Do you need a lawyer to help you with a conservatorship?

A conservatorship is a proceeding in which the court gives to one person (the conservator) the authority to make decisions for another person (the conservatee) in order to protect the conservatee. This occurs when the court determines that the person being conserved (the conservatee) no longer is able to take care of his or her own needs for daily living, medical needs, or financial affairs.

If you have a loved one for whom you need to take formal responsibility because he or she can no longer manage his or her own affairs, call us . Or if you are a conservatee and already have a conservator, but you don’t think this person is doing a good job, or does not seem to have your best interests in mind, contact us and we will see if there is anything to be done.

We will come and visit you if you have mobility or health problems that prevent you from traveling to our offices. Please call us now for an inexpensive, confidential consultation.

More about Conservatorships:

In conservatorships, someone (the “conservator”) is appointed by the court to act for another person who cannot care for himself or herself (the “conservatee”). The conservator can be conservator of the person, conservator of the estate, or both.

Conservator of the Estate

A conservator of the estate must post a bond and periodically file an accounting and report with the court. A conservator of the estate is appointed if the conservatee cannot handle his or her own finances. The conservator of the estate “marshals” (gathers together) and takes control of the assets. The conservator transfers the assets to himself or herself as conservator of the estate and opens special accounts for that purpose.

Conservator of the Person

A conservator of the person takes care of the conservatee’s needs of daily living and may be authorized to make medical decisions. The conservator cannot change the residence of the conservatee without the court’s approval.  This is often necessary when a person is too ill to make decisions or suffers from dementia that prevents the conservatee from understanding his or her medical needs.

Limited Conservatorships

Limited conservatorships were created by the state legislature especially to serve the needs of developmentally disabled adults. The conservator’s authority is typically more limited than that of a conservator holding “general” letters because the needs of developmentally disabled adults varies greatly.