A conservatorship is a legal "tool" to provide management for the financial and/or personal affairs of individuals deemed by the court to be physically or mentally incapacitated. A conservator is a manager appointed by the court to protect and care for the person or the financial affairs of citizens unable to provide for the basic needs of food, shelter or clothing or unable to resist fraud or undue influence.

The Superior Court may appoint a Conservator of the Person for any adult who is unable to properly provide for his or her personal needs for food, shelter, clothing or medical care. The Conservator of the Person assumes responsibility for all decisions regarding the health and welfare of the Conservatee.

A Conservator of the Estate may be appointed upon finding that the person is substantially unable to manage his or her own financial resources or resist fraud or undue influence. The Conservator of the Estate assumes responsibility for the prudent use and protection of the conservatee's assets. This fiduciary's duties include holding, securing and investing estate assets, receipt of income, verification and payment of obligations and preparation of regular accountings for review by the court.

Duties of Conservator of the Person and Estate

• Provide food, clothing and shelter

• Supervision of medical needs

• Consent to medical treatment

• Arranging for appropriate care

• Provide for daily activities and transportation

• Be available at all times (and/or arrange for a responsible agent) to handle emergencies

• Inventory and collect assets

• Collection of income, verify and pay obligations

• Manage financial assets

• Participate in all legal and financial matters regarding conservatee

• Prepare accountings

• Preparation and filing appropriate tax returns

• Arrange or verify pre-need agreements

Ocana & Ocana, Private Fiduciaries, serve as private professional Probate Conservators and are held to the highest standards and are accountable for all actions. They can provide a higher level of experience and competence that non-professional individuals acting in the same capacity. Ocana & Ocana will perform many tasks that a non-professional would have to delegate to an attorney at a much higher cost and they often have a better familiarity of the community resources available to enhance clients' quality of life than non-professional individuals