Over five million Americans suffer from dementia. This serious loss of brain function hinders the ability of seniors to care for themselves and make sound decisions. In these cases, a conservatorship may be necessary to protect their quality of care, assets and legacy.
Conservatorship, also referred to as guardianship, is a legal arrangement that places an individual, also known as a ward or protected person, under the supervision of a conservator. There are two main types of conservatorship: conservator of the person and conservator of the estate or property.
A conservator is typically a family member, friend, or fiduciary appointed by the court. A protected person can be a senior who is no longer able to make safe and sound decisions about his or her own person or property, or who is prone to fraud or undue external influence.
Appointment of a conservator can materially limit the rights and privileges of the protected individual in areas such as:
- Choosing residence
- Providing informed consent to medical treatment
- Making end-of-life decisions
- Making property transactions
- Obtaining a driver’s license
- Owning, possessing, or carrying a firearm or other weapon
- Contracting or filing law suits
- Marriage
- Voting
Right to Due Process
In order to safeguard the protected person’s right to due process, he or she is usually provided with notice and is entitled to attend all legal proceedings related to conservatorships. In addition, the protected person may obtain representation by an attorney, present evidence, and confront and cross-examine all witnesses.
Conservatorship of the Person
Conservatorship of the person grants authority over non-financial matters such as issues that impact the personal well-being of the protected person, including making important medical decisions. The appointed conservator is normally tasked with the following responsibilities:
- Determining and maintaining residence
- Providing informed consent to and supervising medical treatment
- Consenting to and supervising non-medical services such as education, psychiatric or behavioral counseling
- Making end-of-life decisions
- Maintaining the protected person’s autonomy as much as possible
Conservatorship of the Estate or Property
Conservatorship of the estate or property empowers the conservator to make important financial decisions on behalf of the protected person, including:
- Organizing, gathering and protecting assets
- Arranging appraisals of property
- Safeguarding property and assets from loss, whenever possible
- Managing income from assets
- Making appropriate payments
- Obtaining court approval prior to any sale of major assets
Our law firm routinely works with seniors and their loved ones to determine the best course of action, file the required paperwork and represent them in proceedings with the appropriate administrative agencies. We also work with the conservator to keep an up-to-date accounting of the estate.