When I was a senior in high school in 1998 and “Baby One More Time” came out, I could have never imagined the effect that Britney Spears would have on my future professional life! Now that her story is burning up social media, conservatorships have been a hot topic in the news cycle. The...Read More

author: marcen27 from Glasgow, UK In an unprecedented turn of events, Britney Spears took the stand yesterday in LA Probate Court to tell the Judge exactly how she felt about being conserved. Thirteen years into her Conservatorship, Britney elaborated on what she believes has been an “abusive” situation that has “traumatized” her. Prior to yesterday,...Read More

Tom Girardi is a famous LA attorney, who, before late last year was perhaps best known for his role in the real life “Erin Brockovich” story. He is also known to many as the husband of “Real Housewives of Beverly Hills” star Erika Girardi. More recently, however, Mr. Girardi has become known for the massive...Read More

Originally published 12/21/20, updated 2/12/21 2020 was a difficult year for Britney Spears, and not because of the pandemic. If you haven’t seen the headlines yet – Britney’s Conservatorship was been in Court multiple times in 2020 and has undergone major changes. The most recent power struggle over Britney took place on February 11th of...Read More

Tiger King!  Netflix’s hottest new show right now that everybody is streaming!  On March 20, 2020, Netflix put out a new show that discusses large cat zoos in America.  In episode 3, they discuss Carole Baskin, who runs Big Cat Rescue in Florida, in depth.     The whole storyline in episode 3 is that Carole...Read More

Is Britney ready to take on her life without a conservatorship?  The biggest pop star of the millennium is back in the headlines after canceling her return to Las Vegas for her new show Britney: Domination and announcing an indefinite work hiatus. She checked into a mental health facility for a few weeks and rumors...Read More

The Conservatorship of celebrity Amanda Bynes has been in and out of the California probate courts since 2013. Recently, Bynes’ Conservatorship of the Person was extended, while the Conservatorship of the Estate was terminated. Here’s a brief synopsis of how her Conservatorship has played out, and what we can learn from her experience. Amanda Bynes...Read More

Vanity Fair recently published a new article, “It is Not a Coincidence: With 75 million on the line, the Redstone Family declares Sumner incompetent.” If you’re unfamiliar, Sumner Redstone is the Hollywood Mogul billionaire at the helm of a media empire that includes CBS and Viacom. For the past several years, Sumner has been at...Read More

The children of Buzz Aldrin, former astronaut, are trying to obtain guardianship over him in a Florida court – and he’s fighting back. According to the Wall Street Journal, Andrew and Janice Aldrin say their father is in “cognitive decline” and a guardianship is necessary. Aldrin and his attorneys responded with a lawsuit accusing son...Read More

Conservatorship (called Guardianship for minors) becomes necessary in a variety of circumstances, most commonly due to a lack of mental capacity. When a Conservatorship is needed, someone must step in to fulfill the role of Conservator. A Conservator is charged with the (often difficult) task of caring for the well being of another. Acting as...Read More

For those of you who are fans – or at least avid listeners to the hit podcast “S-Town,” you may be left with a few questions: What happened to Mary Grace? Where is the gold??Did Cousin Rita have something to gain?What happened to all those dogs? I can’t answer these questions definitively, but a recent examination...Read More

When patients are diagnosed with a chronic illness such as Alzheimer’s or dementia, they often feel a sense of hopelessness as their natural confidence is replaced with a feeling of losing control over their lives. They may feel helpless and alone, victims of their disease, and depression can set in. For individuals and families dealing...Read More

Reports indicate that the Administrator of Bobbi Kristina Brown’s massive estate abruptly quit amidst the heated family drama since Brown’s death. Bobbi Kristina Brown, daughter of Whitney Houston and Bobby Brown, died after being in a coma for several months after a presumed drug overdose nearly two years ago. Her estate, and the ensuing legal...Read More

Embed from Getty Images       Michael Jackson’s Mother claims Elder Abuse: What are her legal options? Michael Jackson’s 86 year old mother Katherine filed legal documents Wednesday claiming her former driver and nephew in law, Trent Jackson, had subjected her to years of elder abuse. She requested a restraining order, which was temporarily...Read More

On a recent trip to visit family friends, I had the opportunity to hear the story of a dear friend’s older sister who had recently passed away. My friend was kind enough to allow me to share that story here. As I do not share the personal stories of my clients, I felt this was...Read More

Knowing when a conservatorship is necessary is complicated enough. When family members disagree about the care of a parent or relative, obtaining a conservatorship can become even more complex.  So, how do you know when you need a conservatorship – and what do you do if family members disagree?  As an attorney who specializes in...Read More

The state of Illinois recently resolved the estate of Mary Petroff, a nonagenarian (new word! – “90’s”) who died in 2011. It took nearly 4 years for the state to find and confirm the 48 relatives who laid claim to her and her late sister Anne’s $1.36 million estate. The story of Mary and Anne’s...Read More

When an individual has a condition that limits their ability to care for themselves, a conservatorship can be obtained through the court. There are several types of conservatorships most often sought in Contra Costa County. A limited conservatorship is necessary in the case of special needs children when they turn 18. Obtaining a limited conservatorship...Read More

On October 5th, Governor Jerry Brown signed SB-128, the bill that legalized assisted suicide in California. Called The “End of Life Option Act,” Brown stated that he signed the bill because if he found himself dying “in prolonged and excruciating pain” he would find comfort in having the option to end his life. He was...Read More

As an Elder Law attorney in Walnut Creek, CA who specializes in Conservatorships, I have yet to see a conservatee that is under the age of thirty who does not have special needs. I most often represent adult children trying to obtain a conservatorship over a parent who has been diagnosed with dementia or Alzheimer’s...Read More

Having a parent, grandparent, or close friend that is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s or dementia can seem overwhelming. However, if you begin planning for their future early, many of the difficulties associated with the disease can be avoided. In addition, the sooner planning begins, the more the person affected can participate. The Importance of Legal Planning...Read More

Last month a conservatorship was obtained over Bobbi Kristina Brown, 22 year old daughter of Whitney Houston. This month, on June 24th, a lawsuit was filed against Nick Gordon by the conservator, alleging serious abuse against Bobbi Kristina. A conservatorship over another person allows one full legal power to act on their behalf. In the...Read More

In our third installment of Defining Elder Law, we discuss Conservatorships and Elder Abuse. While technically these are two separate legal matters, they often find themselves intertwined, as conservatorships often become necessary because financial elder abuse is occurring.  CONSERVATORSHIPS A Conservatorship is when the Court appoints a person (such as a friend, family member, or...Read More

On Friday, May 8th, the LA Times announced that Bobbi Brown and Pat Houston were granted guardianship over Bobbi Kristina “Krissi” Brown. Guardianship of an adult is synonymous with the term “conservatorship,” and in this case refers to conservatorship of the person – or legal rights in regard to the care and medical decisions of...Read More

In my last Conservatorship blog post, we discussed the role of a Conservatorship and the differences between a Conservatorship of the Person and the Conservatorship of the Estate.  Today, I want to generally discuss the question of “how.”  How does one go about obtaining a Conservatorship? When it comes to the process of petition for...Read More

For assisting a friend or family member with mental capacity issues, there are two main ways to help them.  One way is to have them sign documents such as a Durable Power Of Attorney or Advanced Health Care Directive. When somebody signs these documents, they are appointing another person to make medical and financial decisions...Read More