{"id":29,"date":"2019-03-28T17:23:04","date_gmt":"2019-03-28T17:23:04","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/guardianships-conservatorships\/?p=29"},"modified":"2024-07-31T17:20:18","modified_gmt":"2024-07-31T17:20:18","slug":"difference-between-guardian-and-conservator","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/guardianships-conservatorships\/blog\/difference-between-guardian-and-conservator\/","title":{"rendered":"Difference Between Guardian and Conservator in Arizona"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>When an adult is <a href=\"https:\/\/www.azleg.gov\/ars\/14\/05101.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">incapacitated<\/a>\u00a0or unable to make sound decisions, a judge can appoint a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.azleg.gov\/ars\/14\/05301-02.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">guardian<\/a>\u00a0or conservator to step in and assist them. Most of the time this responsibility falls on a family member, but there are cases where the court can appoint a professional or public guardian instead. Generally speaking, a guardian is appointed to assist with all aspects of an incapacitated adult\u2019s affairs, and a conservator is appointed to administer their finances.<\/p>\n<h2>Guardianship<\/h2>\n<p>A guardian is tasked with handling an incapacitated adult\u2019s medical, financial, and personal affairs. Some common responsibilities include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Paying the adult\u2019s bills<\/li>\n<li>Prudently managing the adult\u2019s assets and investments<\/li>\n<li>Selling property and liquidating assets to cover medical and living expenses<\/li>\n<li>Filing the adult\u2019s tax returns<\/li>\n<li>Determining where the adult will live<\/li>\n<li>Monitoring the adult\u2019s living situation to ensure proper care<\/li>\n<li>Accessing the adult\u2019s medical records<\/li>\n<li>Consulting with the adult\u2019s doctors and make important medical decisions regarding treatment and care<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2>Conservatorship<\/h2>\n<p>A conservator\u2019s job is to handle an incapacitated adult\u2019s finances. This typically includes accessing bank accounts, managing investments, paying bills, collecting debts, filing taxes, and handling the adult\u2019s general cash flow. While both a conservator and a guardian are expected to act in the best interests of the adult, a conservator has a fiduciary duty to prudently manage the adult\u2019s assets. They will be held accountable for ensuring the adult\u2019s investments match their income needs, risk tolerance, and return requirements. As such, it\u2019s a good idea for conservators to enlist the assistance of a financial advisor to make sure they are fulfilling their fiduciary responsibility.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Appoint a Guardian or Conservator<\/h2>\n<p>Considering guardianship and conservatorship constitute a significant breach of the ward\u2019s right to privacy, the appointment process is rightfully strict\u2014though it doesn\u2019t have to be difficult. With proper planning, it can be a fairly simple process.<\/p>\n<p>If you would like to be appointed guardian or conservator, the first thing you\u2019ll need to do is to file a petition with the court in the county where the adult resides. When a hearing is granted, the court will instruct you to serve notice to the adult, family members, and applicable agencies.<\/p>\n<p>Before the hearing, you\u2019ll need to get a certificate of incapacity from the adult\u2019s doctor or psychologist, and submit the certificate to the court. The judge\u2019s decision will be largely based on this certificate, so the hearing cannot commence without it. If the adult cannot attend the hearing, their doctor should indicate this on the certificate of incapacity. In such cases, someone will need to advise the adult of their rights, and fill out an Admonishment of Rights form with their responses. The advising party will need to indicate the following:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>That the adult has been notified that the petitioning party has filed for guardianship<\/li>\n<li>The adult\u2019s response to the guardianship appointment request<\/li>\n<li>The adult\u2019s preference as to who should be appointed as their guardian<\/li>\n<li>That the adult has been informed they have the right to appear for the hearing in person or by video conference<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If nobody contests the guardianship or your appointment, the guardianship hearing may only take a few minutes. If there is an objection, you\u2019ll need to defend your reasoning for the guardianship, and you\u2019ll need to demonstrate that you are the best candidate for the responsibility of guardianship.<\/p>\n<h2>Emergency Guardianship<\/h2>\n<p>Guardianship can take anywhere from 1 \u2013 4 months. If the incapacitated adult is at risk of death or bodily harm, or if they need medical treatment that isn\u2019t urgent but should not be procrastinated, a judge can appoint an emergency guardian. The adult will need to be served notice at least 24 hours in advance of the emergency hearing, unless a judge waives the requirement due to the urgency of the situation. Once granted, an emergency guardian will be appointed for 6 days. If the guardian needs authorization beyond the initial 6 days, they\u2019ll need to submit additional evidence that an emergency guardian is necessary until a permanent guardian cab be appointed.<\/p>\n<h2>Consider Your Alternatives<\/h2>\n<p>Advance planning is always the better option. If the adult in question still has a sound mind, they can grant you a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.azleg.gov\/ars\/14\/05501.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">durable power of attorney<\/a>of their own free will rather than forcing a guardianship hearing. A power of attorney grants you (the attorney-in-fact) the authority to act as their legal <a href=\"https:\/\/www.azleg.gov\/ars\/14\/01201.htm\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">agent<\/a>. Depending on how the power of attorney is drafted, the individual (known in this case as the principal) can grant the same authority that one would receive through a court-appointed guardianship or conservatorship. The principal can broadly authorize full control over their financial, medical, and personal needs, or they can restrict access to certain responsibilities and circumstances.<\/p>\n<h2>How to Get a Durable Power of Attorney<\/h2>\n<p>The best way to initiate a power of attorney is to begin with an open conversation. Nobody likes to relinquish control over their assets and affairs, so you\u2019re likely to encounter some resistance if the power of attorney wasn\u2019t their idea. Take the time to explain why you are concerned, what aspects of their life could be made easier by granting someone a power of attorney, and how you can best serve them as their agent. Let them know that a power of attorney doesn\u2019t take away their control or decision-making abilities\u2014it simply allows you to assist them in areas they need help (like adding an authorized user on a bank account). People are usually open to granting a power of attorney once they understand the rights they will retain and how the agreement will make their life easier.<\/p>\n<p>When both parties are on the same page, schedule an appointment with an attorney. The attorney will be able to answer all of your questions, put both parties\u2019 minds at ease, and draft a power of attorney that is tailored to your unique situation. A do-it-yourself power of attorney is legal, and in many cases is perfectly acceptable, but the generic forms that you find online may miss some of the specific qualities that you need. When the document is ready, the principal will need a witness to attest that they are of a sound mind, and both parties will need to sign in the presence of a notary public.<\/p>\n<p>Call Guardianship and Conservatorship Attorney Colton Johnston at <a href=\"tel:4804674313\">(480)467-4313<\/a> to discuss your case today.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>When an adult is incapacitated\u00a0or unable to make sound decisions, a judge can appoint a guardian\u00a0or conservator to step in and assist them. Most of the time this responsibility falls on a family member, but there are cases where the court can appoint a professional or public guardian instead. Generally speaking, a guardian is appointed [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"default","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"default","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"default","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-4)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-29","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v24.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>What is the Difference Between a Guardian and a Conservator?<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"A guardian is appointed to assist with an incapacitated adult\u2019s affairs, while a conservator is responsible for distributing their finances.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/guardianships-conservatorships\/blog\/difference-between-guardian-and-conservator\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"What is the Difference Between a Guardian and a Conservator?\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"A guardian is appointed to assist with an incapacitated adult\u2019s affairs, while a conservator is responsible for distributing their finances.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.jacksonwhitelaw.com\/guardianships-conservatorships\/blog\/difference-between-guardian-and-conservator\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Arizona Guardianships &amp; 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