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Court Appointed Conservators
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I verify an educational degree?
- If I have more than one degree, do I need to verify each degree?
- Who has to register in the Statewide Registry?
- If I am a private conservator for my mother or father, do I have to register in the Statewide Registry?
- If I register in the Statewide Registry, do I still have to register with the counties?
- What is the purpose of the Statewide Registry when I already register with the counties?
- When do I have to register in the Statewide Registry?
- Do I have to register in the Statewide Registry every year?
- What is the registration fee?
- Can I get a partial refund if I cease being a private professional conservator or guardian?
- The information I provide to the counties when I register is available only to the court and otherwise is confidential. Is the information I give to the Statewide Registry confidential?
- Can I obtain the information from the Statewide Registry submitted by other private conservators and guardians?
- According to the website, I can register on line, but I still have to mail a form. Why?
- Who do I contact if I have questions? Where do I mail my form?
- How do I verify an educational degree?
If you have a degree and want to list it, then, you must submit one of the following: either a letter or an official transcript from the educational institution verifying that you received the degree you have listed. A copy of a diploma is not an accepted form of verification.
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- If I have more than one degree, do I need to verify each degree?
You must verify each degree you claim, but you may choose not to claim every degree you have received. For example, an attorney who has a Juris Doctor or Bachelor of Law degree from a law school may choose to list only the law degree and not list a B.A. or B.S. from college. In that case, the attorney would need to provide verification only for the law degree. Similarly, a person with a Masters degree might choose to list only that degree and not the undergraduate degree.
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- Who has to register in the Statewide Registry?
Every private conservator or guardian who is required by Probate Code section 2340 to register with the counties is required to register in the Statewide Registry. Trustees may register but are not required to do so.
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- If I am a private conservator for my mother or father, do I have to register in the Statewide Registry?
No. You do not have to register if you are acting as a private conservator or guardian for someone who is related to you by blood, marriage or adoption. In addition, you do not have to register if you are a private conservator for someone who resided in the same home with you immediately before the events which required you to become private conservator occurred.
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- If I register in the Statewide Registry, do I still have to register with the counties?
Yes. The law which created the Statewide Registry states that the law is not intended to replace the registration system in the counties.
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- What is the purpose of the Statewide Registry when I already register with the counties?
The Statewide Registry provides a centralized source of information for judges. Judges can find out important information about persons they are considering appointing as private conservators and guardians without having to check every county.
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- When do I have to register in the Statewide Registry?
As soon as the Statewide Registry is established, any private conservator or guardian must register before he or she may be appointed to a new case. In addition, each private conservator and guardian who has already been appointed to a case, must register in the Statewide Registry by January 1, 2001 or the date of the next required review of the case pursuant to Probate Code section 1850, whichever is earlier.
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- Do I have to register in the Statewide Registry every year?
No. You only register every three years.
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- What is the registration fee?
The registration fee is $385 for the three year period.
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- Can I get a partial refund if I cease being a private professional conservator or guardian?
No. The law does not provide for refunds. In any event, most of the costs are for the initial registration so any refund would be so small it would be outweighed by the administrative costs of processing it.
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- The information I provide to the counties when I register is available only to the court and otherwise is confidential. Is the information I give to the Statewide Registry confidential?
The public has limited access to the information you provide to the Statewide Registry. Any member of the public may obtain your name, the fact that you are registered, your education, and your professional experience. Otherwise, the information is available only to judges or court personnel authorized by judges to obtain the information.
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- Can I obtain the information from the Statewide Registry submitted by other private conservators and guardians?
No. You are considered a member of the public for this purpose. You may, of course, access the information in your own file. For technological reasons, you cannot obtain access on line to your file once you have submitted your registration although you may obtain copies of the information in your file.
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- According to the website, I can register on line, but I still have to mail a form. Why?
Registering on line will speed the processing of your application, but the law requires each private professional conservator and guardian to register by submitting a signed declaration. Therefore, the Statewide Registry requires you to print and sign the application form after you have entered the information on line and to send payment with the form.
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- Who do I contact if I have questions? Where do I mail my form?
Click on the "Contact Information" button on the home page of the website for the Statewide Registry, and it will give you the name, address, telephone and FAX numbers, and the e-mail address.
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