Conservatorships & Guardianships

Conservatorships

When a friend or family member cannot handle their own financial decisions, whether temporarily or for the long term, the court can appoint a conservator to take over those responsibilities. Conservators may be family members or professional fiduciaries, and are appointed to manage assets and pay bills for protected people. Children and people with cognitive impairments like dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease are often protected and cared for by a court-appointed conservator.

At Howard O. Bernstein P.C. we can help you decide what sort of management is needed to protect your loved one’s finances and move forward through the court system with a plan in place. Once the conservator is appointed, we are available on an ongoing basis to advise and assist with the filing of annual reports and managing decisions related to the role.

Guardianships

A court-appointed guardian will make decisions regarding the care and well-being of a protected person, and often works hand-in-hand with a conservator (though one person may hold both roles, if both are needed). Our attorneys can educate and advise you on the responsibilities a guardian will handle, where the limitations of the guardian’s power and liabilities lie, and help you craft a plan for caring for the protected person.

From triaging a situation, through petition to the court for appointment and managing the responsibilities of guardian on an ongoing basis, our attorneys are available to advise and assist during a stressful time.