Conservatorships have become a multi-billion dollar industry in California. While most conservators help your incapacitated loved one get back on their feet, others strip them of civil rights.
ABC News reported a story where a daughter only saw her conservatee mother in 30-minute intervals, which is worse treatment than what most incarcerated persons receive.
Our lawyers have also seen conservatorship abuse examples involving physical beatings, bank account theft, and other forms of harm. If you or a family member suffer the effects of a conservatorship, you’re not alone.
Read more about others that have suffered the same harm and see how experienced legal firms can assist.
What You Need to Know about Conservatorship Abuse
The sad truth about conservatorships is that loved ones get placed in them without the legal funds to escape. While the conservator eats away at their estate for their services, your loved one loses money to fight back in court.
They may have a mental illness or another kind of incapacitation that keeps them from fully seeing the abuse.
And when a court appoints several attorneys and experts at the hearing, the conservatee can pay hundreds of thousands by the end of the case.
Conservatorship abuse causes physical, emotional, and financial suffering but also perpetuates these cycles.
California Examples of Conservatorship Abuse
Broken individuals and families are the results of severe conservatorship abuse stories. Conservators take advantage of the victim in their most vulnerable position and control every aspect of their lives.
You may have already seen common types of conservatorship abuse, such as forcing unwanted medical decisions. They’re coined as “acting in the best interest” of the conservatee so the judge approves them.
Here are a few painful examples you may have heard in California.
Britney Spears
The famous pop star, Britney Spears, suffered a 13-year conservatorship where her father abused his power. Embezzling her estate and dictating her music career, the singer quickly lost independence and personhood.
Britney says that Jamie Spears prevented her from marriage and having kids. He forced her to go on music tours, attend rehab, and take medication against her will.
Although Los Angeles judges ruled to free her in 2022, she is still under a temporary conservatorship to manage her financial decisions.
Linda Duncan
ABC News followed Linda Duncan’s conservatorship case, witnessing sweeping examples of abuse.
A sibling petitioned the court to put their mother in a conservatorship after a disagreement with their sister over a family loan. The judge approved the recommendation and appointed a 3rd-party conservator to take over Linda’s person and estate.
Rather than live in her Camarillo home, she was forced against her will into an assisted living facility. Linda’s husband built that property for her to spend the rest of her days, but now she’s hundreds of miles away.
“I had the most wonderful life, and to be shut down here like this… it’s just kind of a sad situation,” Linda said. “It wouldn’t be so bad if I could come out. It’s a tragedy, I think.”
What to do When a Conservator is Abusing Their Power
You must take immediate action if loved one is suffering from a conservator’s abuse of power. Depending on the situation, they could absorb various forms of conservatorship abuse, including:
- Physical abuse like beatings, spitting, or scarring
- Name-calling, neglect, or isolation
- Financial exploitation of checking, savings, estate, and other property
- Forcing medical treatment, medications, and appointments
- Changing trust, will, and estate planning documents
Legal fees may be challenging to pay when the conservator drains the victim’s money, but petitioning for abuse is still your best route. An experienced attorney is the only one with the power to end your loved one’s legal arrangement.
Thankfully, some firms even work for free until you get paid from the case, making it easier to escape abusive situations.
Families are Worth Protecting from Conservatorship Abuse
We’ve helped thousands of families win conservatorship abuse cases in court. It’s not about us or our accolades: it’s about saving your loved one.
Our team puts the conservatee and your legacy first, so the conservator goes behind bars where they belong.
If you have a family member under an abusive conservatorship, give us a call. We’d be glad to hear your story and show you how to terminate a conservatorship one step at a time.
Call us at (800)-840-1998, so we can offer encouraging words of hope in your difficult situation. We can also help with power of attorney and other estate planning services.
