CONSERVATORSHIP

A California conservatorship is a court process that authorizes a responsible adult to manage another adult’s personal care, finances, or both when that person can no longer do so safely. Families seek conservatorship when an aging parent, an adult with a disability, or someone with declining health needs legal oversight that other arrangements cannot provide.

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California courts recognize several types of conservatorship based on individual needs. A general conservatorship applies to adults who have lost capacity because of age, illness, or injury. A limited conservatorship applies to adults with developmental disabilities and grants only the powers needed to support the conservatee.

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Within each type, the court may authorize personal decisions through a conservatorship of the person, financial management through a conservatorship of the estate, or both. The authority granted depends on the conservatee’s circumstances and what the court finds necessary.