Many families choose to have one parent be the conservator for their family member.
But sometimes a relative, a friend, a professional, or an agency is the right choice.The decision is unique for every family.
What you can do:
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Talk about the options with your family member, a lawyer, and other helpful people such as teachers, case managers, and doctors.
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Weigh your family member's needs and the conservator's duties. Then decide who you'd like to ask to become the conservator.
The rest of this section is written as if the conservator is you, but the steps apply to anyone who would serve in this role.
Learn more about the responsibilities of a conservator by clicking the box below:
A conservator must:
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Use the person’s money only for that person’s benefit.
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Report to the Court: file an inventory 90 days after appointment and file account summaries every year (we will explain this more later in this Guide).
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Locate all assets that belong to your family member. This includes insurance policies and appraisals of property.
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Change the ownership of all their accounts from your family member to the conservator.
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Get Court approval for other types of transactions by downloading and filling out the Petition to Expand, Modify, or Limit Powers of a Guardian form. You can find the link at the bottom of this page. (It will open in a new tab or window on your screen.)
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Invest your family member's money wisely to get a good rate of return. It may help to consult a financial adviser who specializes in special needs planning.
Source: MA Guardianship Association
Source: MA Guardianship Association