Who Can Be a Conservator in Connecticut and What Annual Reporting Is Required

When the probate court appoints a conservator for your parent, someone has to actually serve in that role — and Connecticut has specific rules about who qualifies, who gets priority, and what ongoing obligations come with the appointment. Most families assume an adult child automatically gets appointed. In practice, the probate judge has discretion, and competing petitions from siblings or other family members can complicate the process significantly.

Who Is Eligible to Serve

Connecticut's Probate Court decides whether a proposed conservator is suitable; an adult child is not automatically entitled to the appointment. The court may appoint a Conservator of the Person, a Conservator of the Estate, or both, and professional conservators are also available.

Professional conservators — typically attorneys or licensed fiduciaries — can also serve. The court may appoint a professional when family members are in conflict, when the estate is complex, or when no suitable family member is available.

Priority Order

If the respondent (the person who needs a conservator) previously designated a preferred conservator in a signed document — often included in a health care representative appointment or advance directive — the court considers that designation when evaluating the appointment. Connecticut law encourages individuals to name their preferred conservator while they still have capacity, precisely to avoid family disputes later.

When no prior designation exists, the court evaluates the proposed conservator in light of the respondent's needs and expressed preferences and the proposed conservator's ability to comply with court reporting requirements.

The court may appoint a Conservator of the Person, a Conservator of the Estate, or both, depending on the parent's needs.

Mandatory Reporting After Appointment

Connecticut imposes structured oversight on conservators that goes well beyond what a POA agent faces. The obligations differ by role:

Conservator of the Estate:

• Asset Inventory (Form PC-3400) — due within 60 days of appointment. Must list every asset: real property, bank accounts, investments, retirement accounts, vehicles, and personal property, all valued as of the date of appointment.
• Financial accountings — detailed reports documenting all income received, disbursements made, and fiduciary fees paid. Connecticut requires these at minimum every three years, though individual probate judges may require annual filings in their district.
• Court approval for major transactions — selling the primary residence, terminating a lease, or disposing of household furnishings requires a separate petition (Form PC-303) and written court authorization. The conservator cannot act unilaterally on these decisions.
• Probate bond — the court typically requires the conservator to maintain a bond protecting the estate's assets. The premium is paid from the estate.

Conservator of the Person:

• Must ensure the conserved person receives appropriate medical care, housing, and personal services
• Cannot change the conserved person's residence without court approval
• Must respect the conserved person's expressed wishes to the extent reasonably possible
• Must file reports as requested by the probate court regarding the conserved person's care and living situation

What Happens If You Miss a Reporting Deadline

Because these are court-supervised filings, a missed deadline should be addressed with the Probate Court promptly. Accountings are due at least every three years, and the local probate judge may require them annually or upon request.

This is why some families — particularly those with modest estates or straightforward financial situations — find the conservatorship reporting burden disproportionate. The same financial management that a POA agent handles informally with no reporting obligation becomes a court-supervised process with mandatory inventories, accountings, and bonds once a conservatorship is in place.

Getting the POA documents done while capacity exists isn't just faster and cheaper — it eliminates the ongoing oversight apparatus entirely. The Connecticut Power of Attorney & Guardianship Kit includes both the POA execution checklists and the conservatorship compliance guide for families who are past the voluntary planning window.

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