California Probate Legal Archives: General legal news, resources and more for consumers seeking information about the California probate process, alternatives to California probate, how an individual can avoid probate and other probate-related issues.

What Is Guardianship and Conservatorship? An Explanation in Plain English

Guardianships and conservatorships exist to help people who can't always help themselves. However, unlike other states, California defines guardianship and conservatorship as two completely different arrangements. Both have to do with caring for someone who can't care for themselves, but they have separate meanings and applications. So, what is guardianship and conservatorship in the [...]

Conservatorship vs Guardianship in California: Which Is Right for Me?

Most people have no idea what conservatorship or guardianship is, let alone the difference between the two. And for good reason! These two words can mean completely different things depending on which state you live in. For example, California and Texas have totally separate interpretations of guardianships. This makes the conservatorship vs guardianship question a [...]

What Is an LPS Conservatorship?

Illness and injuries can alter the course of our lives. That's why it sometimes comes as a relief to the sick and disabled when a loved one steps up to care for their needs and manage their affairs. In California, there are legal arrangements in which the court appoints such a caregiver. One of these [...]

SLAT Estate Planning: A Great Option for Large Estates

There are many estate planning strategies out there, but which one is best? To be honest, it really depends on your situation. While most real estate strategies are designed to grow and successfully transfer assets, some are meant to look even further ahead to future generations. One of the latter, spousal lifetime access trust (SLAT) [...]

What Is a Conservatorship Bond?

When people have to enter into conservatorship arrangements, they often have some concerns. These fears are very valid because, unfortunately, there have been quite a few instances of the conservatee falling victim to conservatorship mismanagement and fraud. The bad experiences have, however, given rise to solutions, including a conservatorship bond. What is a conservatorship [...]

What Are Letters of Conservatorship in California?

What happens when a person becomes incapacitated in California? Are there laws under the California probate code that state how such individuals can receive special care? Yes, of course! Conservatorship is the answer to anything pertaining to the incapacitation of an individual, and letters of conservatorship are an important part of that arrangement. Personal conservators [...]

How to Fight a Conservatorship in California

Conservators have a key role in ensuring that incapacitated adults lead meaningful lives. At times, however, someone may want to fight a conservatorship. Relatives or close family to the conservatee may not like how the conservator cares for them. Similarly, the conservatee themselves may want to change or remove a conservatorship (see the famous example [...]