{"id":100,"date":"2019-03-28T17:23:04","date_gmt":"2019-03-28T17:23:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/guardianships-conservatorships\/?p=100"},"modified":"2023-10-26T04:28:52","modified_gmt":"2023-10-26T04:28:52","slug":"what-is-conservator-of-estate","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/guardianships-conservatorships\/blog\/what-is-conservator-of-estate\/","title":{"rendered":"Conservator of an Estate in Arizona"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/h2>\n

When an adult becomes mentally incapacitated and can no longer manage their own affairs, a family member, friend, or public guardianship agency may need to step in and provide assistance. If the incapacitated adult (referred to as the protected person<\/a>\u00a0ward) has an estate plan with a durable power of attorney<\/a>, then the designated agent should have the necessary legal authority to take over the protected person\u2019s finances.<\/p>\n

Depending on the provisions in the power of attorney contract, the agent may also have the legal authority to make important healthcare decisions and determine the protected person\u2019s living situation. If the protected person didn\u2019t have a power of attorney, or if the power of attorney offers limited authority, then the caretaker will need to be formally appointed as the protected person\u2019s conservator<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Conservatorship<\/h2>\n

Generally speaking, conservatorships are established by the courts for adults who are in a coma, suffer from advanced dementia or Alzheimer\u2019s disease, or have other serious injuries or illnesses that result in mental incapacitation. A conservatorship can also be established for a minor, but for the purpose of this discussion we\u2019ll focus on conservatorships for incapacitated adults.<\/p>\n

When a court appoints someone to serve as a protected person\u2019s conservator, the judge will outline the conservator\u2019s powers and authority based on the protected person\u2019s needs. Though many incapacitated adults need help with all aspects of their care and financial management, it\u2019s not uncommon to see a case where the protected person can\u2019t handle the complexity of financial decisions but has no trouble consulting with their doctors for medical treatment. In short, incapacitation isn\u2019t always complete. As such, conservatorships are designed to be customizable so that the judge can tailor each case to the protected person\u2019s unique needs.<\/p>\n

Depending on the situation, the court will appoint a conservator to one or both of the following capacities:<\/p>\n