Definition
A conservatorship is a legal relationship in which a court gives one person, a conservator, the duty and power to make decisions about financial and property matters for the benefit and protection of a beneficiary (also referred to as a person subject to conservatorship) (Garner 2014).
Principles of Conservatorship
Conservatorships can be a useful special needs planning tool for individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and their caregivers (Werner & Chabany 2016). The term “conservator” is generally understood as a guardian, protector, or preserver of another person’s property. State courts have jurisdiction in conservatorship matters to protect individuals who are unable to care for their estate because of a severe impairment or disability (Uniform Law Commission, 2007, 2017). A conservatorship beneficiary’s estate includes all personal assets, real property, and funds. Beneficiaries can be minors or adults.
Each conservatorship must be appointed by a judge. A court...
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References and Readings
American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging. (2016). Guardianship and supported decision-making: Practical tool. Retrieved from https://www.americanbar.org/groups/law_aging/resources/guardianship_law_practice/practical_tool
Devi, N. (2013). Supported decision-making and personal autonomy for persons with intellectual disabilities: Article 12 of the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. The Journal of Law, Medicine & Ethics, 41(4), 792–806. https://doi.org/10.1111/jlme.12090.
Dinerstein, R. (2012). Implementing legal capacity under article 12 of the UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities: The difficult road from guardianship to supported decision-making. Human Rights Brief, 19(2). Retrieved from https://ssrn.com/abstract=2040938. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2013.03.005.
Dudley, K., & Edmonds, N. (2018). Psychology’s role in guardianship and conservatorship evaluations. In S. S. Bush & A. L. Heck (Eds.), Forensic geropsychology: Practice essentials (pp. 257–279). Washington, DC: American Psychological Association. https://doi.org/10.1037/0000082-013.
Garner, B. (Ed.) (2014). Conservatorship. Black’s law dictionary. 10th ed. St. Paul: Thomson/West. 370.
Kohn, N., & Blumenthal, J. (2014). A critical assessment of supported decision-making for persons aging with intellectual disabilities. Disability and Health Journal, 7(1), S40–S43. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dhjo.2013.03.005.
Kohn, N., Blumenthal, J., & Campbell, A. (2013). Supported decision-making: A viable alternative to guardianship. Penn State Law Review, 117(4), 1111.
National Council on Disability. (2018). Beyond guardianship: Toward alternatives that promote greater self-determination. Retrieved from https://ncd.gov/publications/2018/beyond-guardianship-toward-alternatives
National Council on Disability. (2019). Turning rights into reality: How guardianship and alternatives impact the autonomy of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Retrieved from https://ncd.gov/publications/2019/turning-rights-into-reality
Page, K., & Hinrichs, K. (2017). Swimming against the tide: A case study on the removal of conservatorship and guardianship. Clinical Gerontologist, 40(1), 35–42. https://doi.org/10.1080/07317115.2016.1177767.
Parker, M. (2016). Getting the balance right: Conceptual considerations concerning legal capacity and supported decision-making. Journal of Bioethical Inquiry, 13(3), 381–393. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11673-016-9727-z.
Uekert, B. et al. (2018). Data quality undermines accountability in conservatorship cases. National Center for State Courts Brief No. 7. NCJ 252660. Retrieved from http://www.ncjrs.gov/App/publications/abstract.aspx?ID=274885
Uniform Law Commission. (2007). Adult guardianship and Protective Proceedings Jurisdiction Act (UAGPPJA). Retrieved from https://www.uniformlaws.org/committees/community-home?CommunityKey=0f25ccb8-43ce-4df5-a856-e6585698197a
Uniform Law Commission. (2017). Guardianship, Conservatorship and Other Protective Arrangements Act (UGCOPAA). Retrieved from https://www.uniformlaws.org/committees/community-home?CommunityKey=2eba8654-8871-4905-ad38-aabbd573911c
United States General Accounting Office. (2004). Guardianships: Collaboration needed to protect incapacitated elderly people. GAO-04-655. Retrieved from https://www.gao.gov/products/GAO-04-655.
Van Arsdale, B., & Oakes, K. (2020). Guardian and ward. American Jurisprudence, 2d, 39, 79–80.
Werner, S., & Chabany, R. (2016). Guardianship law versus supported decision-making policies: Perceptions of persons with intellectual or psychiatric disabilities and parents. American Journal of Orthopsychiatry, 86(5), 486–499. https://doi.org/10.1037/ort0000125.
Wilber, K., et al. (2001). New perspectives on conservatorship: The views of older adult conservatees and their conservators. Aging, Neuropsychology, and Cognition, 8(3), 225–240. https://doi.org/10.1076/anec.8.3.225.831.
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Kelly, A.M., Marsack-Topolewski, C.N. (2020). Conservatorship (Full Conservatorship and Limited Conservatorship). In: Volkmar, F.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Autism Spectrum Disorders. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-6435-8_102520-1
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