Setting up a conservatorship in California typically costs between $5,000 and $10,000 in the first year for a straightforward, uncontested case, with recurring costs of roughly $2,000 to $5,000 per year after that. Contested cases can run $20,000 or more before they’re resolved. The full conservatorship cost in California depends on the size of the estate, whether family members object, and whether a professional fiduciary or court-appointed attorney gets involved. Most expenses come out of the conservatee’s estate, but when that estate is thin, the person who filed the petition often ends up paying.
What the First Year Costs
The first year is the most expensive because nearly every setup fee lands at once.
Court Filing Fees
The filing fee for a conservatorship petition is $435, whether you’re seeking authority over the person, the estate, or both.1Superior Court of California. Statewide Civil Fee Schedule Effective January 1, 2026 It’s non-refundable even if the court denies your petition. If you also need a temporary conservatorship while the full case is pending, that’s another $435.2Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. Civil Fee Schedule Later filings, like a petition for substituted judgment to authorize a major decision on the conservatee’s behalf, run another $435 each. Certified copies of court orders, which banks and government agencies routinely demand, are small individually but accumulate.
Notice and Service
California law requires at least 15 days’ notice of the hearing to the proposed conservatee, their spouse or domestic partner, and the relatives listed in your petition, and the court cannot shorten that timeline.3California Legislative Information. California Code PROB 1822 – Establishment of Conservatorship The proposed conservatee must be personally served. Hiring a sheriff’s office or registered process server typically costs $40 to $50 per attempt, though certain types of service can run $100 or more.4Orange County Sheriff’s Department. OCSD Civil Process Services Fee Schedule If you can’t locate someone entitled to notice, the court may order publication in a newspaper, which can cost several hundred dollars.
Court Investigator
Before the court grants a conservatorship, a court investigator interviews the proposed conservatee, evaluates their condition, talks to relevant parties, and files a written report. This initial investigation fee is typically around $650, though it can be higher in complex cases.5Superior Court of California County of Orange. Notice of Fee Changes The fee is charged to the conservatee’s estate, and the court may absorb part or all of it when the estate lacks sufficient funds.
Inventory and Appraisal
A conservator of the estate must file an inventory of the conservatee’s assets, and for most conservatorships those assets must be appraised by a court-appointed probate referee.6California Legislative Information. California Code, Probate Code PROB 2610 Probate referees charge a statutory commission of one-tenth of one percent (0.1%) of the total appraised value.7California Legislative Information. California Probate Code 8961 For an estate with $800,000 in total assets, that’s $800.
Bond Premium
When a conservator manages an estate, the court almost always requires a surety bond before issuing letters of conservatorship. The required bond amount equals the total value of the estate’s personal property, plus the probable annual income from all estate property, plus any anticipated government benefit payments.8California Legislative Information. California Code PROB 2320 The court adds a recovery-cost cushion calculated on a sliding scale: 10% of the first $500,000, 12% of the next $500,000, and 2% of anything above $1 million.9California Courts. Rule 7.207 Bonds of Conservators and Guardians
The premium itself, paid annually to a surety company, typically runs 0.5% to 1% of the total bond amount. For an estate around $500,000 with $20,000 in annual income, expect somewhere between $2,860 and $5,720 a year. Conservators with poor credit may face higher premiums or have trouble finding a surety company willing to write the bond at all.
Attorney Fees
Attorney fees are usually the single largest conservatorship expense. Hourly rates for probate attorneys in California generally range from $300 to $600, and flat fees for a straightforward, uncontested petition typically run $3,000 to $6,000. The conservatee’s estate pays, but every dollar must be approved by the court, which will only allow amounts it finds just and reasonable for services rendered in the conservatee’s best interest.10California Legislative Information. California Code PROB 2640 If the estate doesn’t have enough money to pay, the conservator who hired the attorney may be stuck with the bill.
Court-Appointed Attorney for the Conservatee
Many petitioners don’t anticipate this one. The court will often appoint a separate attorney to represent the proposed conservatee’s interests, and in many situations it’s not optional. That appointed attorney investigates independently, may oppose the conservatorship, and bills for their time. Their fees also come out of the conservatee’s estate, subject to court approval.
Ongoing Yearly Costs
The costs don’t stop once you’re appointed. A quiet conservatorship with no disputes still runs roughly $2,000 to $5,000 per year.
Bond premium. Paid every year for as long as the conservatorship is open.
Court investigator reviews. Reviews are mandatory: one within six months of appointment, another a year after that, and at least every two years going forward.11California Legislative Information. California Code PROB 1851 Each review typically costs around $400.5Superior Court of California County of Orange. Notice of Fee Changes If the investigator finds problems, the court may order modifications or removal, which triggers additional legal costs.
Accountings. Conservators of the estate must file a detailed accounting one year after appointment and at least every two years after that.12California Legislative Information. California Probate Code 2620 Courts expect precise records, and one that doesn’t add up can lead to sanctions, surcharges, or removal. CPAs and forensic accountants who handle probate work charge $150 to $400 per hour. Some conservators keep costs down by paying a bookkeeper $2,000 to $5,000 annually rather than reconstructing records at filing time.
Fiduciary tax returns. A conservatorship estate with gross income of $600 or more must file federal Form 1041, separate from the conservatee’s personal return.13Internal Revenue Service. Instructions for Form 1041 and Schedules A, B, G, J, and K-1 Many conservators also need to file a California fiduciary return. Hiring a CPA to prepare one typically costs $400 to $800 or more. Missing the filing can trigger IRS penalties, and a negligent conservator can be held personally liable.
Professional Fiduciary Fees
When no family member is willing or able to serve, the court may appoint a licensed professional fiduciary. Professional fiduciaries in California typically charge $200 to $300 per hour, and their fees require court approval like attorney fees.10California Legislative Information. California Code PROB 2640 The hours add up quickly. A fiduciary managing daily care and finances might bill 5 to 15 hours a month for routine matters, more during setup or when complications arise. Over a year, that can reach $15,000 to $40,000 or more. For smaller estates, professional fiduciary fees can consume a significant share of the conservatee’s resources, something the court weighs when deciding whether the conservatorship is truly in the person’s best interest.
When the Case Is Contested
Contested conservatorships, where a family member or the proposed conservatee objects, can generate legal bills of $20,000 or more before the case is resolved. Extra hearings, discovery, expert declarations, and appeals all compound. The conservatee’s estate still pays, subject to court approval, but a small estate can be drained in a single contested proceeding.
Who Actually Pays
The general rule is that the conservatee’s estate covers reasonable conservatorship expenses: court fees, attorney fees, bond premiums, fiduciary compensation, accounting costs, and investigator fees. But the court must approve compensation for conservators and their attorneys, and it will only allow amounts it considers just and reasonable.10California Legislative Information. California Code PROB 2640
When the estate is small, this creates a real problem. A conservatee living on Social Security with minimal savings may have an estate that can’t absorb thousands of dollars in annual fees. In those cases, family members who initiated the conservatorship often end up covering costs out of their own pockets. Court investigator fees may be waived or reduced for low-income conservatees, but attorney fees and professional fiduciary fees don’t disappear just because funds are short. Think hard about this before you file. If the estate can barely support the conservatee’s care, the conservatorship’s overhead will make that situation worse.
If you can’t afford the filing fees, you can request a fee waiver. Conservatorship cases follow different fee-waiver procedures than other civil matters, so don’t rely on the court’s general instructions.14California Courts. Ask for a Fee Waiver Even if the court grants a waiver, it can later require reimbursement from the conservatee’s estate once funds become available.
The Long-Term Total
Over a decade-long conservatorship, cumulative expenses can easily reach $30,000 to $60,000, and that’s before any contested motions or extraordinary legal work. Terminating the conservatorship also costs money: the conservator must file a final accounting, petition the court for discharge, and potentially pay attorney fees for the termination proceeding. If the conservatee has passed away, the remaining estate assets move through the probate or trust administration process, which carries its own expenses.