Protecting Estates.
Protecting Legacies.

Skilled San Jose And Danville Conservatorship And Guardianship Lawyers

The best way to plan for incapacity and secure the well-being of minor children is through a comprehensive estate plan. If, however, you have an elderly loved one who has become incapacitated and has not executed a living trust, durable power of attorney and advance health care directive, options still remain. At Temmerman, Cilley, Kohlmann & Norcia, LLP., our conservatorship and guardianship lawyers in San Jose and Danville help provide for the care of incapacitated adults or minor children through conservatorship or guardianship.

California Conservatorships

A conservatorship in California results from a court case where the judge appoints a responsible adult or organization, called a conservator, to care for an incapacitated adult, called a conservatee, who is often elderly and cannot manage self-care or finances.

To obtain a conservatorship over an incapacitated adult, a person must, preferably with the assistance of a San Jose and Danville conservatorship attorney, file a petition with the court. Numerous interested people may petition for conservatorship:

  • Proposed conservatee
  • Proposed conservator
  • Spouse
  • Domestic partner
  • Relatives or friends
  • Interested state and local agencies

After a petition is filed, the court schedules a hearing and conducts an investigation to determine whether the proposed conservatorship is necessary. The judge appoints a conservator of the person to be responsible for the conservatee’s care and protection and/or a conservator of the estate to be responsible for the conservatee’s finances.

Because courts exercise a great deal of supervision over conservatorships, it is wise to avoid the potential need for a conservatorship through the use of a durable power of attorney for financial matters and advance health care directive. However, as an individual cannot execute these documents after he or she is incapacitated, a conservatorship may be the only option in some circumstances.

A conservatorship attorney in San Jose and Danville at Temmerman, Cilley, Kohlmann & Norcia, LLP., knows the process and can help potential conservators, conservatees and other interested parties quickly navigate or avoid, when possible, the conservatorship process. To learn more about conservatorships, please see Options for People Who Are Incapacitated.

California Guardianships

A guardianship is similar in many ways to a conservatorship. However, while conservators are appointed for incapacitated adults, guardians are appointed for minor children. Normally, the parents of a minor child nominate a guardian to care for the child if the parents die or are incapacitated. They may also set up a trust to provide for the care of the child with the help of a trust or guardianship attorney in San Jose or Danville. If the parents die or become incapacitated, the court normally defers to the nomination made by the parents when appointing a guardian.

When there is no such estate plan in place, however, a California superior court must exercise its independent judgment and appoint a guardian of the person to have custody of the child and a guardian of the estate to administer any significant property. The court only appoints an individual as a guardian if it is in the best interest of the child. A knowledgeable San Jose and Danville guardianship lawyer at Temmerman, Cilley, Kohlmann & Norcia, LLP., can help potential guardians provide the court and investigating agency with all required information and thereby protect the interests of the child.

Conservatorship Or Guardianship Attorneys In San Jose And Danville Providing Solutions For Incapacity

The San Jose and Danville conservatorship or guardianship lawyers of Temmerman, Cilley, Kohlmann & Norcia, LLP., have experience helping clients deal with the multitude of legal issues relating to incapacitated elderly adults and parents of minor children. Call our San Jose or Danville offices at 408-780-1912 or contact Temmerman, Cilley, Kohlmann & Norcia, LLP., online today.