The process is a petition, an investigation, notice to relatives, a hearing, and then supervision that continues for as long as the conservatorship does. In Los Angeles County, probate matters are heard at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 North Hill Street.
Budget months, not weeks. And understand before you start that the appointment is the beginning of the obligation, not the end of the process.
Step by step
- The petition is prepared and filed, identifying the proposed conservatee, the proposed conservator, and the authority sought.
- Notice goes out to relatives within the degrees the law requires, and to the proposed conservatee personally.
- A court investigator interviews the proposed conservatee, explains their rights, and reports independently to the court.
- Counsel may be appointed for the proposed conservatee, particularly where there is objection or where the court thinks it appropriate.
- The hearing takes place. If it is uncontested and the investigator's report supports it, this stage is usually shorter than families expect.
- Letters of conservatorship issue, which is the document banks and facilities will actually ask to see.
- Ongoing duties begin: inventory and appraisal on the estate side, then accountings the court reviews on a schedule.
Notice is not a formality
Relatives entitled to notice get notice, including the sister in Sacramento nobody has spoken to since the funeral and the son your mother has not mentioned in a decade. They can object. If there is family history here, tell your attorney at the first meeting rather than letting it arrive as a surprise filing two weeks before the hearing.
The investigator
A court investigator is an independent officer of the court, not your ally and not your adversary. They meet the proposed conservatee, explain what is being asked, ask whether they object, assess the situation, and write a report the judge takes seriously.
Do not coach your parent. Investigators do this every day, they recognize a rehearsed answer instantly, and nothing damages a petition faster than the appearance of a family managing the interview.
What it costs
I am not going to publish a number, because the honest range is wide and the variable is conflict. An uncontested petition where the family agrees and the estate is straightforward is a defined piece of work. A contested one, where a sibling objects and the matter turns into litigation with depositions and competing capacity evidence, is a different order of expense entirely.
Filing fees, investigator fees, bond premiums, and any appointed counsel are additional to attorney's fees. Ask for a written estimate covering the petition through appointment, and a separate estimate for the annual accounting work, because that recurring cost is the one families forget to plan for.
“The cost question I get is always about the petition. The cost that actually surprises people is year three, when the accounting is due again and they realize this is a subscription, not a purchase. Ask about ongoing fees before you file, not after.”
Delia Vasquez-HartEmergencies
There is a temporary conservatorship track for genuine emergencies, and it moves faster. It is narrower than most families want it to be. A parent who is being actively financially exploited this week is a different case from a family that has been meaning to handle this since spring, and courts can tell the difference.
Questions we get asked
How long does it take?
Ordinary uncontested petitions generally run months from filing to appointment. Contested matters take considerably longer and the timeline depends on the court's calendar and the nature of the dispute.
Does my mother have to come to court?
The proposed conservatee's attendance is generally expected, with exceptions where attendance would be harmful or is not feasible. That exception requires support, usually medical.
Will she get her own lawyer?
Counsel may be appointed for the proposed conservatee, and is more likely where there is objection or where the court considers it warranted.
What happens after I am appointed?
You file an inventory and appraisal on the estate side, then accountings on the court's schedule. Keep every receipt from day one. Reconstructing a year of a conservatee's spending afterward is miserable and expensive.
Come to the free consultation with a list of every living relative and their last known city, plus a rough inventory of the assets. Those two lists drive the notice requirements and the bond, and having them ready shortens the first month meaningfully.