If you are considering conservatorship, you have to make sure that there are no other options available to you otherwise the judge might not grant your petition. A conservatorship might not even be necessarily if the person in question can:
-Take care of his/her own basic needs
-Be of sound mind enough to willingly sign a power of attorney to someone who can help with his/her finances
-Collects social security or welfare every month. Social Security Administration might be able to assign you a representative payee who is a person that the social security or welfare recipient can allow to receive their checks on their behalf.
-Have a spouse or domestic partner handle the financial decisions. For this option, the property must be community property or in a joint account.
Some other alternatives to conservatorship regarding medical and personal care items:
-Allow for an advance health care directive
-Get court authorization for medical treatments
-Prepare informal personal care arrangements
-Filing for restraining orders to protect against harassment
For financial decisions, instead of a conservatorship you can possibly:
-Give power of attorney to a trusted individual
- Arrange for a substitute payee for public benefits (like veterans’ benefits or social security benefits)
-Prepare informal arrangements
-Get joint ownership of accounts and other property/assets
-Make a living trust
If you are considering hiring an Attorney, but are not sure if you can afford one, contact and set up an appointment with our Orange County Family Law lawyers, so they may review your case. Call at (714) 665-6600 to schedule your free 1-hour in office consultation with an Orange County lawyer.
