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Conservatorships

This can be a delicate area, as it usually involves a close family member who has lost competency.  A conservatorship is when a person is deemed by the court to lack at least some competency, and is put under the care of the conservator.  This happens normally when an elderly person is unable to take care of their own finances, and as things get worse, perhaps unable to even take care of their own physical needs.  It is best to be able to handle this in such a manner as to allow them to keep their dignity, and not feel as if they are being treated as a child, while at the same time, ensuring that they have the protections of a conservatorship.  

The probate court has a number of rules that must be complied with in order to get the proper orders. It is necessary to understand the difference between conservatorship of the person, and conservatorship of the estate.  If a conservatorship of the estate is needed, there will be accountings. It is not unusual for these financial issues to cause some conflict in the family, and it can have an effect on any estate planning.