DIY Limited Conservatorship

This course was created to assist anyone who needs to set up a limited conservatorship in California for an individual with a developmental disability. We understand that hiring an attorney is expensive and unaffordable for many people. The purpose of this course is to give you the tools you need to represent yourself in court instead of retaining an attorney.

There are different types of conservatorships in California. A limited conservatorship is specifically for individuals with a developmental disability.

This course provides information about establishing a limited conservatorship of THE PERSON, and not a limited conservatorship of the estate. A conservatorship of the person gives you the rights to make decisions for an individual's personal care, such as place of residence and medical care. A conservatorship of the estate gives you rights to manage an individual's financial assets. The majority of individuals who need a limited conservatorship do not have assets other than public benefits and therefore do not need a conservatorship of the estate. If you do need to set up a conservatorship of the estate to manage an individual's assets other than public benefits, we suggest reaching out to an attorney for further guidance.

This course provides information for setting up a limited conservatorship anywhere in California. The process is state-wide, although there are minor differences between counties, which are highlighted in the course. The individual who is being conserved needs to reside in California in order for a conservatorship to be set up in California.

This course covers 4 main topics: (1) What limited conservatorship is, how it works, and what it provides you as a conservator; (2) Step-by-step tutorials on filling out the required forms; (3) All the steps you need to complete after filing your forms with the court and how to prepare for the hearing; and (4) What you need to do after you've been appointed conservator.

In California an individual becomes an adult on their 18th birthday and they cannot be conserved until then. You can begin this process in advance of the 18th birthday so that conservatorship will be in place when the individual becomes an adult, or you can start this process any time after the individual has turned 18.

Alexis Lynch is an attorney in the Bay Area who has over 10 years of limited conservatorship experience and has handled limited conservatorship cases in 12 counties and counting. Her law practice focuses almost exclusively on limited conservatorships. She knows the ins and outs of the process and knows exactly what information you need to confidently navigate the process yourself.

You can access the course for 6 months. The general timeline for a limited conservatorship case is anywhere from 6 weeks to 5 months depending on the county.

We are confident this course will tell you everything you need to know to navigate the limited conservatorship process. However, if you find there is missing information, you can send an email to [email protected] or call your local court's probate office for information.