Conservatorship in Connecticut
What happens when a loved one can no longer manage their own affairs and advance planning wasn't in place.
Conservatorship usually comes up for one reason: a loved one can no longer safely manage their own finances, health decisions, or daily affairs, and no power of attorney or healthcare proxy was ever put in place. Without those documents, a court proceeding is generally the only path forward. This page explains how that process works in Connecticut.
What Is a Conservatorship?
A conservatorship is a Probate Court process that appoints someone — called a conservator — to manage the affairs of a person (the "conserved person") who's no longer able to manage them safely alone. It's a more involved, public, court-supervised alternative to a power of attorney, and it's generally used specifically because a power of attorney wasn't set up in advance. For more on how to avoid needing one in the first place, see our power of attorney page.
Conservatorship of the Person vs. of the Estate
| Type | What It Covers |
|---|---|
| Conservator of the Person | Day-to-day care decisions, living arrangements, and medical treatment |
| Conservator of the Estate | Finances, property, and financial decision-making |
The court can appoint the same person to both roles, or appoint different people for each — for example, an adult child to handle care decisions and a sibling with a financial background to handle the estate.
Is Conservatorship the Same as Guardianship?
Not exactly. In Connecticut, "conservatorship" is the term generally used for adults, while "guardianship" typically refers to minors, or in some contexts to adults with intellectual disability under a separate statute. The terms get used loosely in everyday conversation, but they follow different legal processes — worth clarifying with an attorney for your specific situation.
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A conservatorship is a court process where the Probate Court appoints someone — a conservator — to manage the affairs of a person (called the "conserved person") who is no longer able to manage them safely on their own. It's typically used when someone didn't put a power of attorney or healthcare proxy in place before becoming unable to do so.
A conservator of the person makes decisions about day-to-day care, living arrangements, and medical treatment. A conservator of the estate manages finances and property. The court can appoint the same person for both roles, or different people, depending on the situation.
In Connecticut, "conservatorship" is the term generally used for adults, while "guardianship" typically refers to minors or, in some contexts, adults with intellectual disability under a related but separate statute. The two terms get used interchangeably in everyday conversation, but they involve different legal processes.
Often, yes. A valid durable power of attorney and healthcare proxy, put in place while someone still has capacity, generally lets a trusted person step in without court involvement. Conservatorship becomes necessary specifically when those documents weren't in place before they were needed.
Related reading: Power of Attorney & Healthcare Directives · Wills & Trusts Services · Probate in Connecticut: What to Expect
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