2 Things to Know About California Conservatorships
A conservatorship is formed when the courts decide that an individual no longer has the capacity to take care of themselves. Is there a way for you to avoid this unfortunate process should you fall victim to some sort of incapacitation or even a debilitating mental illness? Here are a couple of things you should know about California conservatorships.
- The legal term is “gravely disabled” – Therefore, there is some room for the courts to make their own determination as far as what gravely disabled entails. In the meantime, you can head things off at the pass by listing someone in your estate planning documents to care for you should you ever become gravely disabled.
- There must be sufficient proof of disability – If you are eating three meals a day, paying your rent, and keeping your body and clothing clean, it would be tough for a court to declare you gravely disabled. This means that most mental illnesses won’t result in a conservatorship.
That having been said, someone with a condition like schizophrenia who is not taking their medication properly may be disabled to the point of needing a conservatorship. In other cases, this is reserved for people in comas and other forms of complete incapacitation.
Estate Planning Attorneys in San Diego and North County
If you are looking for estate planning attorneys to help you plan for your future in San Diego or North County, then Petrov Law Firm can help. Our experienced estate planning attorneys can help you to designate a health care surrogate or power of attorney in advance, so the courts don’t have to. Call 619-344-0360 today to learn more.
