A conservatorship is the financial version of guardianship. Under A.R.S. § 14-5401, a court appoints a conservator over the money and property of someone unable to manage their own affairs. It exists for good reasons - it protects people. But for a family it means a public court file, attorney fees, a bond, inventories, and annual accountings, for as long as the protection lasts.
What it takes to get one
This is not a form you file: the court must find the need by clear and convincing evidence, after a petition, notice, and a hearing. Contested cases - and family disagreement makes them contested - can run months, with the estate paying the professionals on every side.
Meanwhile, life does not pause
The mortgage, the insurance, the rental property, the brokerage account: all of it waits while the court process runs. This is the quiet cost families describe afterward - not just the fees, but the months of not being able to act.
The one-document alternative
A properly signed durable financial power of attorney names your agent in advance, privately, for the cost of a signature. When it exists, there is usually nothing left for a conservatorship court to do. The catch is timing: the document must be signed while you have capacity. After that window closes, conservatorship is what remains.
Sources
- A.R.S. § 14-5401 (protective proceedings; conservators) (full text, checked 2026-08-09)
- A.R.S. § 14-5501 (durable power of attorney; creation; validity) (checked 2026-08-09)
Educational information only, not legal advice. Conservatorship petitions are legal proceedings - families facing one should consult a licensed Arizona attorney.