What is a Conservatorship?
A conservatorship is a legal arrangement in which an adult oversees the personal care or financial matters of another adult considered incapable of managing alone.
The incapacitated person is the “conservatee.” The person who takes over is the “conservator.” A California conservatorship is established, overseen and terminated by the Superior Court. Conservatorships are only appropriate when an individual has no suitable person and/or no legal arrangement, such as a Power of Attorney or Trustee, in place to act for the individual when they become incapacitated or require involuntary mental health treatment. Conservatorship is an extreme remedy and a last resort alternative.
In Alameda County, the Public Guardian-Conservator manages Probate and Mental Health conservatorships for residents who have been adjudicated by the Superior Court to either lack capacity to manage finances and/or health care, or to be gravely disabled due to mental illness or substance abuse.
Did you Know?