County of Marin Health and Human Services

What is a Conservatorship?

Answer: 

A conservatorship is a legal arrangement set up to protect and manage the personal or financial care – or both – of an individual who has been found by the court to be unable to manage his or her own affairs. The person that helps to manage the individual’s care is called a conservator, and the individual who requires assistance with the management of certain aspects of their care is called the conservatee. In California, there are two types of conservatorships:

  • Probate Conservatorship
  • LPS (Lanterman-Petris-Short) Conservatorship