How to File for Conservatorship in Los Angeles, California

To file for conservatorship in Los Angeles, you petition the Superior Court to appoint you or another responsible adult to manage someone’s personal care, finances, or both. The process runs through the Stanley Mosk Courthouse’s Probate Department and involves a packet of Judicial Council forms, a $435 filing fee, medical evidence of the proposed conservatee’s incapacity, written notice to close relatives, an interview by a court investigator, and a hearing where a judge decides whether conservatorship is warranted. California requires clear and convincing evidence that conservatorship is the least restrictive option available, so the bar is deliberately high.¹

Decide What You’re Asking the Court to Grant

Before filing, settle which kind of authority you actually need. You can request one or both in the same petition.

A conservatorship of the person gives you authority over the conservatee’s daily care: where they live, their medical treatment, and how their needs for food, clothing, and shelter are met. A conservatorship of the estate gives you control over bank accounts, income, bills, and property, and applies when someone is substantially unable to manage their own finances or resist fraud or undue influence. A few careless financial decisions aren’t enough on their own; the court looks for a pattern.²

A limited conservatorship is a separate track for adults with developmental disabilities. The conservator receives only the specific powers the court determines are necessary, and the conservatee keeps every right not expressly granted away. If the proposed conservatee has a developmental disability, the court will treat the case as a limited conservatorship automatically.²

Whichever you choose, the standard of proof is clear and convincing evidence, which sits above the usual civil “more likely than not.” The judge isn’t weighing whether a conservatorship would be helpful; the evidence must show the person truly cannot manage on their own.²

Address Less Restrictive Alternatives in the Petition

Before granting any conservatorship, the judge must find that it is the least restrictive option available.¹ If you don’t address this in your filing, expect the judge to ask at the hearing. The alternatives the court will consider include:

A durable power of attorney, which lets the person name an agent for financial and legal matters and keeps working after incapacity. It only works if signed while the person still has capacity to sign it.³
An advance healthcare directive naming an agent for medical decisions, also requiring capacity to sign.³
A representative payee appointed by Social Security or the VA to handle government benefits. This covers only those benefits, not other income or assets.³
A supported decision-making agreement, in which the person retains decision-making authority with structured help from a trusted supporter. The court is required to consider these before appointing a conservator.¹

If these were never set up, or the person’s condition has deteriorated past the point of meaningful participation, say so in the petition. Explain what you’ve tried or considered and why it fell short.

Where to File in Los Angeles County

File in the county where the proposed conservatee lives. For a California resident living in Los Angeles County, that’s the LA Superior Court.⁴ If the person is not a California resident but is temporarily staying in Los Angeles, you can still file here. Probate conservatorship cases in LA County are handled at the Stanley Mosk Courthouse, 111 North Hill Street in downtown Los Angeles.⁵

Prepare the Required Forms

Conservatorship petitions use standardized Judicial Council forms. An incomplete filing gets rejected or delayed, so accuracy matters more than for most courthouse paperwork. The core documents:

Petition for Appointment of Probate Conservator (GC-310), the main filing. It identifies you, the proposed conservatee, the type of conservatorship requested, the legal grounds, and the proposed conservatee’s relatives.⁶
Confidential Supplemental Information (GC-312), covering private details about the proposed conservatee’s condition, ability to handle daily needs, and alternatives explored. It is filed separately from the petition.⁷
Confidential Conservator Screening Form (GC-314) about you as the proposed conservator. Co-conservators each submit their own.⁷
Capacity Assessment and Declaration (GC-335), the single most important supporting document. A licensed physician or psychologist completes it, and the court relies on it to determine capacity. A weak or vague GC-335 puts the whole petition in trouble.⁸

The petition must list the proposed conservatee’s spouse or domestic partner and relatives within the second degree. If none are known, the list expands to stepparents, stepchildren, nieces, nephews, and similar family.⁹

File, Pay, and Get a Hearing Date

The filing fee is $435.¹⁰ On top of that, Los Angeles County charges $650 for the mandatory court investigator and $425 for each subsequent review investigation.¹¹ If you can’t afford these costs, you can apply for a fee waiver.¹²

You can file in person at Stanley Mosk or submit electronically through an approved e-filing service provider. If you’re represented by an attorney, e-filing is mandatory; self-represented petitioners can file either way. Once the court processes the petition, it assigns a case number and sets a hearing, typically about 70 days out for an initial petition.¹³

Serve Notice on the Right People, on Time

After filing, you have to formally notify everyone the law treats as an interested party. At least 15 days before the hearing, notice of the hearing date and a copy of the petition must be delivered to the proposed conservatee’s spouse or domestic partner and the relatives listed in the petition.¹⁴ The court cannot shorten that 15-day window for any reason.

The proposed conservatee must also be personally served with a Citation for Conservatorship (form GC-320) and a copy of the petition. Personal service means someone physically hands over the documents; mailing isn’t enough. Botched notice is one of the most common reasons hearings get continued, so track deadlines from the day the hearing date is set.

The Court Investigator Will Interview Everyone

Every conservatorship case in Los Angeles requires an investigation by a court-appointed probate investigator before the hearing. The investigator doesn’t work for you or against you. They work for the judge, and their job is to independently evaluate whether the conservatorship is genuinely necessary.

The investigator interviews the proposed conservatee in person, usually at home or in a care facility, and also interviews you, any other proposed conservators, the conservatee’s spouse or domestic partner, and close family.¹⁵ During the interview with the proposed conservatee, the investigator explains the petition, describes what conservatorship would mean, and advises the person of their rights, including the right to oppose the petition, to attend the hearing, to a jury trial on whether a conservatorship is needed, and to be represented by a lawyer (court-appointed if they can’t afford one).

The investigator then files a confidential report for the judge with recommendations on whether the conservatorship should be granted and whether you’re an appropriate person to serve.¹⁶ Judges lean on this report heavily, especially when family members disagree.

The Hearing and What the Judge Must Find

At the hearing, the judge reviews the petition, the GC-335 capacity assessment, and the investigator’s report. You’re expected to be there. The proposed conservatee is also expected to attend unless a medical declaration establishes they physically cannot. If the proposed conservatee has objected or requested an attorney, the court will likely appoint one before proceeding.

To grant the petition, the judge must find two things: clear and convincing evidence that the person cannot manage their own personal needs or financial affairs (depending on which type you requested), and that the conservatorship is the least restrictive alternative available.¹ If a family member opposes the petition, the hearing can become contested, which usually means testimony, cross-examination, and potentially multiple hearing dates.

A granted petition produces an Order Appointing Conservator. The order alone doesn’t give you authority to act. You still need your Letters of Conservatorship (form GC-350), the document you’ll actually show to banks, doctors, and government agencies to prove your legal authority.¹⁷

Bond, Letters, and Ongoing Obligations

If you’re appointed conservator of the estate, the court will almost certainly require you to post a surety bond before issuing the Letters. The bond protects the conservatee’s assets if you mismanage them. The amount is based on the value of estate assets, and you pay an annual premium to a surety company.

Once the bond is posted (or waived in person-only cases where no estate authority is granted), the clerk issues the Letters of Conservatorship. Order certified copies right away; you’ll need them for every institution you deal with.

Your work doesn’t end at appointment. Conservators of the estate must file a formal accounting with the court within one year of appointment and at least every two years after that, with supporting documents such as bank statements and facility bills.¹⁸ The investigator also conducts periodic reviews to confirm the conservatorship is still necessary and that you’re performing your duties. Each review carries its own fee.

Temporary Conservatorship When You Can’t Wait 70 Days

If the proposed conservatee faces an immediate risk, the standard timeline may be too long. California lets you petition for a temporary conservator at the same time you file the general petition, or at any point while the general case is pending.¹⁹ The petition must describe specific facts showing good cause for immediate appointment. Vague worries aren’t enough. Common grounds include a person who needs emergency medical consent, someone whose assets are being actively drained through fraud, or a person who has wandered from a care facility and cannot safely return without supervised placement.

If the court grants a temporary conservatorship on an emergency basis without the proposed conservatee being present, the temporary appointment lasts 30 days unless extended. Anyone can petition to terminate the temporary conservatorship, and the court must schedule a hearing on that request within 15 days.¹⁹ In LA County, the e-filing system schedules temporary conservator hearings just seven days out.¹³

If you’re filing for temporary conservatorship and aren’t the proposed conservatee yourself, the petition must include a declaration of due diligence explaining your efforts to locate the conservatee’s relatives and to learn the conservatee’s own preferences about who should serve.¹⁹

What It Really Costs

The filing fee is only the start. Budget for an uncontested conservatorship in Los Angeles usually includes the $435 petition fee,¹⁰ the $650 initial court investigator fee, and $425 for every later review investigation.¹¹ If you’re managing estate assets, add an annual bond premium based on the estate’s value. Most petitioners hire a probate attorney; fees for an uncontested case typically run several thousand dollars, and contested cases cost significantly more. You’ll also need certified copies of the Letters of Conservatorship for banks, healthcare providers, and government agencies.

If the conservatee’s estate has enough assets, the court may authorize payment of these costs from the estate. If you qualify financially, a fee waiver can cover the court’s filing and investigation fees.¹² Either way, know the full picture before you file. The petition commits you to ongoing expenses that continue as long as the conservatorship does.

1
California Legislative Information. California Code Probate Code 1800.3
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California Legislative Information. California Code Probate Code 1801
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Judicial Branch of California. Conservatorship and Alternatives
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Justia. California Probate Code 2200-2203 – Jurisdiction and Venue
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Los Angeles County. Los Angeles County Superior Court – Central District – Stanley Mosk Courthouse – Probate Department
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California Courts. Petition for Appointment of Probate Conservator GC-310
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California Courts. Start a Limited Conservatorship Case
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California Courts. Confidential Capacity Assessment and Declaration – Probate Conservatorship GC-335
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California Legislative Information. California Code Probate Code 1821
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Judicial Branch of California. Statewide Civil Fee Schedule
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Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. Civil Fee Schedule
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California Courts. Fee Waivers in Guardianships and Conservatorships
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Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. Probate Efiling FAQs
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California Legislative Information. California Code Probate Code 1822
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California Legislative Information. California Code Probate Code 1826
16
Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles. Probate Conservatorship Q and A
17
California Courts. Letters of Conservatorship GC-350
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California Legislative Information. California Code Probate Code 2620
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California Legislative Information. California Code Probate Code 2250