Editing Conservatorship (section)

=== California ===
In the state of California there are two types of conservatorships: Lanterman–Petris–Short ([[Lanterman–Petris–Short Act]] of 1967, referred to as LPS) and Probate conservatorships. These forms of conservatorship are governed by the California Probate Code, and Welfare and Institutions Codes.<ref>{{cite web|title=How are Lanterman-Petris-Short (LPS) and Probate conservatorships different?|url=http://www.lacourt.org/division/probate/PR0019.aspx|website=Superior Court of California, County of Los Angeles|access-date=December 20, 2017}}</ref>

LPS conservatorships begin with a temporary 30-day conservatorship, and if the conservatee remains gravely disabled, the conservator is reappointed for a year; the LPS conservatorship can be renewed annually, or terminated if no longer needed. Probate conservatorships are referred to as "general conservatorships", and typically do not have a temporary period unless an urgent emergency exists that is creating risk to the person or their estate. Probate conservatorship do not automatically expire as LPS conservatorships do if they are not renewed by the conservator.

In an LPS conservatorship, a court-appointed conservator over the person is responsible for managing the conservatee's placement, medical decisions, and mental health treatment. A conservator over the estate is responsible for marshalling, protecting, and managing the conservatee's assets that remain in their estate. A conservator reports to the court that appointed them, and is monitored by the supervising judicial court in the county in which the conservatee permanently resides.

LPS conservatorships usually begin in the county mental health system and are referred from acute psychiatric hospitals, where Probate conservatorships can result from any referral source if validated with proper medical documentation. Mental Health consumers have the right to a Patient's Rights advocate, and are taken through a series of hearings while they are in the acute hospital before they reach the point of needing a conservator.

In 2022, a law was enacted requiring judges in California to document all alternatives to a conservatorship before granting one, giving potential conservatees in California preference in selecting a conservator, and making it easier to end probate conservatorships in California.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://ktla.com/news/california-wire/ap-after-freebritney-california-to-limit-conservatorships/|title=After #FreeBritney, California to limit conservatorships|date=September 30, 2022}}</ref>