Start a limited conservatorship case

You will need the address of the court to put on the papers you file. Generally, you must file the papers in the court in the county where the adult with the developmental disability lives. The cases are generally filed in a court's probate department.

Find a court's address. 

• Petition for Appointment of Probate Conservator (form GC-310) 

  Fill out and sign a Petition. The Petition tells the judge that you would like to be appointed as a limited conservator. It asks for information about both you and the person with a disability. If there's more than one petitioner, everyone must sign.

• Confidential Supplemental Information (form GC-312)

  Fill out the information about the adult with the disability, their ability to provide for their own daily needs, an what other options to help you've already tried or explored. Do not attach this to the Petition.

• Confidential Conservator Screening Form (form GC-314)

  Fill out a screening form. The information on this form will be confidential. Everyone asking to be appointed a limited conservator must fill out a separate form. 

• Citation for Conservatorship (form GC-320)

  This form is used to give notice to the person with a disability that you are asking the court to appoint you as a limited conservator. When you file the form, the clerk will write in the hearing date on the front and sign page 2.

• Notice of Hearing--Guardianship or Conservatorship (form GC-020)

  Fill out the caption and #1 of the Notice. Also fill out the names and addresses of the relatives that can be served by mail on page two. When you file the form, the clerk will write in the hearing date on the front. You can use Attachment to Notice of Hearing Proof of Service by Mail  (form GC-020(MA)) if you have more than four persons or agencies that need to receive notice of the petition for limited conservatorship and hearing.

• Duties of Conservator (form GC-348)

  Read carefully, date, and sign. All proposed conservators must sign.

• Order Appointing Probate Conservator of the Person (form GC-340) 

  Only fill out the top part of the form (the caption). The court will keep this form or will return it to you to hold on to until the court date. Then, the judge will fill it out and sign it if they appoint a conservator.

• Letters of Conservatorship (form GC-350)

  Only fill out the top part of the form (the caption). The court will keep this form or will return it to you to hold on to until the court date. Then, the judge will fill it out and sign it if they appoint a conservator.
  

Depending on the needs of the person with a disability, you may need to use other forms. For example, if you are asking for the power to make medical decisions for the person or if they won't be able to come to the court date for a medical reason.

• Capacity Declaration--Conservatorship (form GC-335) 

  A physician, psychologist, or religious healing practitioner completes this form to give the court information about the person with a disability's ability to attend the court hearing, an evaluation of mental functioning, and their ability to consent to medical treatment. 

• Major Neurocognitive Disorder Attachment To Capacity Declaration--Conservatorship (form GC-335a)

  A physician, psychologist, or religious healing practitioner completes this form to give the court information about a recommended placement or medications for a person who has a major neurocognitive disorder (dementia). This is also called the "dementia attachment".  Attach it to form GC-335. 

Some courts have additional local forms you must use.   

Contact your court clerk’s office, check your court’s website, or talk to your court's Self-Help Center staff to ask if they have any local forms you need to use. 

Make at least 3 copies of all your forms. The court keeps the original. The others are for you, the family members, and Regional Center. You may need to make more copies later to send to other family members.