Conservatorships & Guardianships

Conservatorships occur when a conservator is appointed by the court to manage an adult’s estate or make personal decisions for the adult. The two types of conservatorship are:

• Conservatorship of the person
• Conservatorship of the estate

Guardianships occur when a guardian is appointed by the court to manage a minor’s estate and make personal decisions for the minor. Often a guardianship becomes necessary when a minor is disabled, orphaned or inherits money.

Essentially, guardianship legally formalizes the care-giving responsibility that has been taken on by a guardian without completing a full-blown adoption. The two types of guardianships are:

• Guardianship of the person — addresses personal decisions
• Guardianship of the estate — addresses financial decisions

One guardian can handle both or a separate guardian can be appointed for each.