• A conservator is appointed by a court.Legal Law Justice image by Stacey Alexander from Fotolia.com
  
  You have been nominated by a family member or another individual to act as his conservator. That person is a ward of the court because he is physically or mentally incapacitated. The court has reviewed and approved your nomination and you have been legally appointed. You want to know what your duties and responsibilities will be as conservator. If you accept the position, you will face several obligations.
  
  

Physical Well-Being

• It is your responsibility to see that the person committed to your care is provided a secure place to live. If that place is the ward's home, you may be required to hire and supervise caregivers to attend to him. You are also responsible for making sure the home is safe physically and emotionally. If home living becomes impractical, it will be your decision to move the ward to a special-care facility.
  
  

Propert, Income and Assets

• One of your most serious responsibilities is overseeing financial matters for your ward. This involves reviewing all documents, records and assets of the ward and communicating a summary of this information to the court.
  
  

Finances

• As a conservator you receive, record and bank all income for the ward in conservatorship accounts. You use these funds to pay the ward's bills and other financial obligations in a prompt and timely manner. You report these transactions to the court as required. If large sums of money are involved, it's wise to hire financial advisers, attorneys and accountants to help with financial management.
  
  

Asset Management

• If the ward's assets include investments, it is your job to evaluate each investment and make prudent use of this information. Your first responsibility is to provide for, and protect the interests of, the ward without considering any inheritance implications.
  
  

Court-Required Accounting

• The court requires a full accounting of your actions on the ward's behalf. You must supply an inventory of all assets and investments. You are required to create and maintain a management plan to cover use of the ward's assets and investments and to submit copies to the court. You must file a detailed annual accounting of all income and expenditures to the probate court at the end of each year. A judge must approve all revisions of the management plan.
  
  

Estate Closing

• If your ward passes away, you are responsible for burial details, acting with family as necessary. A final accounting of all property and assets must be filed with the court before you can be released from your duties as conservator.