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Connecticut Guardianship and Conservatorship

When an adult can no longer manage their own care or finances, a Connecticut court can appoint someone to decide for them. This guide explains the process, the alternatives to consider first, and the costs.

Based on Conn. Gen. Stat. Title 45a, Chapter 802h (Protected Persons and Their Property)

By Settled Estate Editorial

What guardianship and conservatorship mean here

Connecticut splits this into two different court cases. An adult who can no longer manage money or personal care gets a conservator, not a guardian, under Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 45a-644 to 45a-663. A child, or an adult with an intellectual disability, gets a guardian. All of it is heard in the Probate Court for the probate district where the person lives, and the judge must find by clear and convincing evidence that the appointment is the least restrictive means of intervention available before taking any right away.

Do not ask a Connecticut court for an adult guardianship. The word Connecticut uses for an adult who cannot manage money or personal care is conservatorship: a conservator of the estate handles finances, a conservator of the person handles living arrangements and medical consent, and the adult is called a conserved person. Guardian in Connecticut means one of two other things. A guardian of the person of a minor holds parental authority over a child, and a guardian of the estate of a minor manages a child's property. A plenary guardian or limited guardian is appointed for an adult whose intellectual disability is severe enough to meet the standard in § 45a-676, and that adult is called a protected person.

Because guardianship removes legal rights, courts look first at the less-restrictive alternatives below.

Types of guardianship and conservatorship

Conservator of the person

Only the duties and authority the decree assigns, which may include general custody, establishing the person's residence in Connecticut, consenting to medical or other professional care, providing for care and comfort, and taking reasonable care of personal effects. The court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the adult is incapable of caring for himself or herself, that the person cannot be cared for adequately without a conservator, and that the appointment is the least restrictive means of intervention available. The court requires a bond only if it considers one necessary to protect the person.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-656

Conservator of the estate

Supervision of an adult's financial affairs, including managing and inventorying the estate, applying income and if necessary principal to the person's support and debts, and collecting debts owed to the person. The court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the adult is incapable of managing his or her affairs, that those affairs cannot be managed adequately without a conservator, and that the appointment is the least restrictive means of intervention available. A probate bond is required for a conservator of the estate.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-650

Limited guardian of an adult with intellectual disability

Only the specific duties the decree assigns from the § 45a-677 list, such as consenting to a place of abode outside the family home, consenting to educational, vocational or behavioral programs, releasing clinical records, or consenting to routine, elective and emergency medical and dental care. The court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the adult can do some but not all of what physical health or safety requires, or can make some but not all informed decisions about his or her care. The statute directs that the assignment be made to help the person achieve self-reliance.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-676

More guardianship types8 additional arrangements courts use in specific situations, with statute cites

Voluntary representation

The same powers and duties a conservator of the person or of the estate would have after an involuntary appointment, but granted at the adult's own request. An adult asks the Probate Court for help before anyone files against them. The judge sees the person, hears the reasons, explains that granting it puts the person or the property under a conservator's authority, and then appoints without ever finding the person incapable. If the petition excuses bond, no bond is required unless the person later asks for one or facts show one is needed.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-646

Temporary conservator

Charge of the property or the person, or both, limited to the circumstances that gave rise to the application, with each duty and authority set out in the decree. The court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the adult is incapable, that immediate and irreparable harm to mental or physical health or to financial or legal affairs will follow if nothing is done, and that a temporary conservator is the least restrictive means of preventing that harm. A probate bond is required.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-654

Guardian of the person of a minor

The obligation of care and control of a child, authority over major decisions about the child's education and welfare including consent to marriage, military enlistment and major medical, psychiatric or surgical treatment, and authority over funeral arrangements if the child dies. A child has no parent or guardian of the person, and an adult relative, a person with actual physical custody, or counsel for the child petitions the Probate Court. A sole parent or guardian may also ask the court to add a coguardian, effective at once or on a stated contingency such as that parent's incapacity or death.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-616

Permanent guardian of a minor

A guardianship meant to last until the child turns eighteen, without terminating the parents' parental rights. The court has removed a parent as guardian and finds by clear and convincing evidence that a ground for termination of parental rights exists or the removed parent consented, that adoption is not possible or appropriate, that a child twelve or older consents or a younger child's proposed guardian is a relative or already guards a sibling, that the child has lived with the proposed guardian for at least a year, and that the proposed guardian is committed to serving until majority.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-616a

Temporary guardian of a minor

The same care, control and major-decision authority a guardian of the person of a minor holds, for a term the statute caps at one year. A parent or guardian cannot care for the child for any reason, including illness or absence from the state, and applies to the Probate Court to name someone to stand in. The appointment ends whenever the appointing parent or guardian tells the court and the temporary guardian that it is over.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-622

Guardian of the estate of a minor

Charge of all of the child's property, whether acquired before or after the appointment, with no authority over the child's person. A child is entitled to property and has no guardian of the estate. The court may name one or both parents or the guardian of the person, and if none of them will accept or none is a proper person, a child twelve or older may choose someone. Every guardian of a minor's estate must give a probate bond.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-629

Plenary guardian of an adult with intellectual disability

Supervision of all aspects of the adult's care as listed in § 45a-677, with written findings of fact supporting each grant of authority. The court finds by clear and convincing evidence that the adult, by reason of the severity of an intellectual disability, is totally unable to meet essential requirements for physical health or safety and totally unable to make informed decisions about matters related to his or her care. The alleged inability must be shown by recent behavior that would cause harm or create a risk of harm.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-676

Temporary limited guardian for a medical decision

Consent to one identified surgical, medical or dental procedure or treatment, and nothing else. An adult with a severe intellectual disability needs an elective procedure or treatment involving general anesthesia and cannot give informed consent. The petition carries two certificates, one from a physician and one from a licensed psychologist, each based on an examination within thirty days before filing. The appointment cannot be valid for more than sixty days.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-682

The Connecticut guardianship court process

1File in the right probate districtAn application for involuntary representation may be filed by any person alleging that the adult is incapable of managing his or her affairs or incapable of caring for himself or herself, and stating the reasons.
An application for involuntary representation may be filed by any person alleging that the adult is incapable of managing his or her affairs or incapable of caring for himself or herself, and stating the reasons. It goes to the Probate Court for the district where the respondent resides, is domiciled or is located when it is filed. Connecticut has no county probate court, so the town of residence decides the district (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 45a-648 and 45a-2).
2State whether the person gets state aidAn application for the appointment of a conservator of the estate, or for involuntary representation, must state whether the respondent is or is not receiving aid or care from the state.
An application for the appointment of a conservator of the estate, or for involuntary representation, must state whether the respondent is or is not receiving aid or care from the state. The 2026 Supplement rewrote this section so it now covers involuntary representation applications as well as conservator of the estate applications (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-652).
3Serve the citation and the plain-language warningThe court issues a citation served on the parties at least ten days before the hearing, with personal service by a state marshal, constable or indifferent person on the respondent and on the respondent's spouse if the spouse is not the applicant.
The court issues a citation served on the parties at least ten days before the hearing, with personal service by a state marshal, constable or indifferent person on the respondent and on the respondent's spouse if the spouse is not the applicant. Notice also goes to the applicant, the town welfare officer, the Commissioner of Social Services if the respondent is in a state institution or receiving state aid, the Commissioner of Veterans Affairs where applicable, the respondent's children or other next of kin, and the head of any hospital or nursing home where the respondent is living. The notice must carry a boldface statement in at least twelve-point type telling the respondent exactly which rights a conservatorship can take away. If personal service is not made, the court is deprived of jurisdiction (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-649).
4Get an attorney, or have the court appoint oneThe respondent has the right to be represented by an attorney of his or her own choosing.
The respondent has the right to be represented by an attorney of his or her own choosing. If the respondent is indigent or otherwise unable to pay, the court must appoint an attorney from the Probate Court Administrator's panel unless the respondent refuses representation and the court finds the respondent understands that refusal. Appointed counsel for an indigent respondent is paid at rates set by the Office of the Probate Court Administrator, from Judicial Department funds or, if none were budgeted, from the Probate Court Administration Fund. The attorney has access to all information pertinent to the proceeding, including immediate access to medical records available to the treating physician (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-649a).
5File the medical evidenceMedical evidence must come from one or more physicians licensed in Connecticut who examined the respondent not more than forty-five days before the hearing, and it must state the respondent's condition and how that condition affects the ability to manage affairs or provide self-care.
Medical evidence must come from one or more physicians licensed in Connecticut who examined the respondent not more than forty-five days before the hearing, and it must state the respondent's condition and how that condition affects the ability to manage affairs or provide self-care. For a person with an intellectual disability, psychological evidence from a licensed psychologist may be used instead. The court may waive the requirement only where the evidence is impossible to obtain because the respondent is absent or refuses examination, or the alleged incapacity is not medical in nature, and it must then say in the decree why medical evidence was not required. Any medical record filed under this subsection is confidential (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-650).
6Attend the hearing, wherever it needs to be heldThe respondent has the right to attend, and the rules of evidence that apply to civil matters in the Superior Court apply here, with all testimony under oath or affirmation.
The respondent has the right to attend, and the rules of evidence that apply to civil matters in the Superior Court apply here, with all testimony under oath or affirmation. Before any evidence about the respondent's condition comes in, the court must be satisfied by clear and convincing evidence that it has jurisdiction, that notice was given, and that the respondent was advised of the right to an attorney and either has one or waived one. If the respondent tells the court in any way that he or she wants to attend but cannot, the court must schedule the hearing somewhere that makes attending possible (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-650).
7Meet the clear and convincing standard, twiceTo appoint a conservator of the estate the court must find by clear and convincing evidence that the respondent is incapable of managing his or her affairs, that those affairs cannot be managed adequately without a conservator, and that the appointment is the least restrictive means of intervention available.
To appoint a conservator of the estate the court must find by clear and convincing evidence that the respondent is incapable of managing his or her affairs, that those affairs cannot be managed adequately without a conservator, and that the appointment is the least restrictive means of intervention available. The parallel findings apply for a conservator of the person. No conservator may be appointed at all if the respondent's personal needs and property management are already being met adequately by an agent or appointee acting under §§ 1-350g, 1-352, 19a-575a, 19a-577, 19a-580e or 19a-580g (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-650).
8Weigh the nine statutory factors and the person's own choiceBefore appointing, the court weighs the respondent's abilities, the respondent's capacity to state an informed preference, information obtained from the respondent, evidence of past preferences and lifestyle choices, cultural background, the value of continuity in the person's life and environment, whether the person already made adequate alternative arrangements such as a durable or springing power of attorney, a health care representative or agent, a living will or a trust, evidence from family and others about past practices and preferences, and any supportive services, technologies or other means available to help.
Before appointing, the court weighs the respondent's abilities, the respondent's capacity to state an informed preference, information obtained from the respondent, evidence of past preferences and lifestyle choices, cultural background, the value of continuity in the person's life and environment, whether the person already made adequate alternative arrangements such as a durable or springing power of attorney, a health care representative or agent, a living will or a trust, evidence from family and others about past practices and preferences, and any supportive services, technologies or other means available to help. The person the respondent designated or nominated must be appointed unless that person is unwilling or unable to serve or there is substantial evidence to disqualify them (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-650).
9Take a decree that lists every power grantedThe court assigns only the duties and authority that are the least restrictive means of intervention necessary, must find by clear and convincing evidence that they restrict the conserved person's decision-making only as far as necessary, and must make a finding of the clear and convincing evidence supporting each separate duty and authority assigned.
The court assigns only the duties and authority that are the least restrictive means of intervention necessary, must find by clear and convincing evidence that they restrict the conserved person's decision-making only as far as necessary, and must make a finding of the clear and convincing evidence supporting each separate duty and authority assigned. A conservator of the estate must give a probate bond. The court may require a bond of a conservator of the person if it considers one necessary (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-650).
10Sort out the power of attorney and the health care representativeThe court may limit, suspend or terminate the authority of an agent acting under the conserved person's power of attorney, and must enter a specific order saying which.
The court may limit, suspend or terminate the authority of an agent acting under the conserved person's power of attorney, and must enter a specific order saying which. Anything not expressly assigned to the conservator stays with the conserved person and that agent. A conservator is bound by health care decisions properly made by the conserved person's health care representative, cannot revoke an advance directive without express court authorization, and must comply with health care instructions the person gave while capable (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 45a-650 and 19a-580e).
11File the inventory within two monthsA conservator of the estate appointed under § 45a-646, § 45a-650 or § 45a-654 files an inventory in the Probate Court within two months of the appointment, under penalty of false statement, appraised at fair market value as of the appointment date, and including the conserved person's interest in joint bank accounts and other jointly held property (Conn.
A conservator of the estate appointed under § 45a-646, § 45a-650 or § 45a-654 files an inventory in the Probate Court within two months of the appointment, under penalty of false statement, appraised at fair market value as of the appointment date, and including the conserved person's interest in joint bank accounts and other jointly held property (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-655).
12Report and account, then face reviewA conservator of the person reports at least annually on the person's condition, on what was done to encourage independence, and on whether the conservatorship is still the least restrictive means of intervention.
A conservator of the person reports at least annually on the person's condition, on what was done to encourage independence, and on whether the conservatorship is still the least restrictive means of intervention. The court may require annual accountings from a conservator of the estate and must require them if any interested party asks. The court reviews every conservatorship not later than one year after it was ordered and then not less than every three years, and must continue, modify or terminate it after each review (Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 45a-656 and 45a-660).

How long it takes

A Connecticut conservatorship moves on statutory clocks rather than on court backlog. The hearing on an application for involuntary representation must be held not more than thirty days after the Probate Court receives it, with the citation served at least ten days before the hearing, so an uncontested case is usually decided within about one to two months of filing. Contested cases, cases that need the medical evidence requirement waived, and appeals to the Superior Court run longer. Case-length estimates are practice observations, not statutory deadlines.

Hearing on an involuntary representation application
Not more than 30 days after the Probate Court receives the application, unless continued for cause shown (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-649)
Service of the citation before that hearing
At least 10 days before the hearing date, or at least 7 days for an application under § 17a-543 or § 17a-543a (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-649)
Physician examination for a permanent conservatorship
Not more than 45 days before the hearing (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-650)
Temporary conservatorship
Up to 30 days, extendable once by 30 days or until a pending § 45a-650 petition is decided, whichever comes first, and never more than 60 days in total (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-654)
Physician examination for a temporary conservator
Not more than 3 days before the report is presented to the judge (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-654)
Notice and hearing on a temporary conservator petition
Notice not less than 5 days before the hearing, hearing not later than 7 days after filing, excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-654)
Ex parte temporary conservator order
Notice to the respondent within 48 hours, hearing begun not later than 3 days after the order, and the order expires not later than 3 days after issue unless a hearing begun before expiry is continued for good cause (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-654)
Conservator of the estate inventory
Within 2 months after the appointment (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-655)
Conservator of the person report
At least annually to the appointing Probate Court (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-656)
First conservatorship review
Not later than 1 year after the conservatorship was ordered (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-660)
Later conservatorship reviews
Not less than every 3 years after the first review (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-660)
Reports for a conservatorship review
The conservator and the physician or psychologist each file within 45 days of the court's request, and the examination behind that report must be not more than 45 days before it is submitted (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-660)
Attorney response after a review report
The conserved person's attorney meets the person and tells the court whether a hearing is requested within 30 days of receiving the reports (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-660)
Hearing on a petition to terminate a conservatorship
Not later than 30 days after the petition is filed unless continued for good cause, and the conservatorship terminates if that hearing is not held (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-660)
Release from voluntary representation
30 days' written notice to the Probate Court (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-647)
Conservator application before the eighteenth birthday
May be filed up to 45 days before the birthday, with the hearing held not more than 30 days before it, and the order takes effect no earlier than the birthday (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-648)
Minor guardianship hearing
Within 30 days of the application, or within 30 days of receiving the results of a requested investigation (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-616)
Notice to a child twelve or older
By first class mail not less than 10 days before the guardianship hearing (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-616)
Hearing to remove a parent as guardian
Within 30 days of the application, or within 30 days of receiving a requested investigation, with notice at least 10 days before the hearing (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-609)
Child protection investigation report
Within 90 days of the court's request, or sooner as the court reasonably orders where temporary custody is at issue (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-619)
Hearing after an ex parte temporary custody order
Not later than 5 business days after the ex parte order, with the respondent entitled to a continuance on request (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-607)
Temporary guardian of a minor
No longer than 1 year, and it ends earlier whenever the appointing parent or guardian notifies the court and the temporary guardian (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-622)
Standby guardian designation
Effective for 1 year, and the authority ends when the stated contingency no longer exists or the year runs out, whichever is sooner (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-624d)
Standby guardian after a parent dies
90 days, after which the authority ends unless the standby guardian has filed a guardianship application and been granted temporary custody or appointed guardian (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-624e)
Inventory for a minor estate guardianship
Within 2 months after the guardian accepts the trust, with a fine of not more than $20 for missing it (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-634)
Annual report for a minor guardianship
At least annually to the appointing Probate Court (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-625)
Intellectual disability guardianship petition before the eighteenth birthday
May be filed up to 180 days before the child turns eighteen, with the order effective no earlier than the birthday (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-670)
Assessment team examination for an intellectual disability guardianship
Each team member must have personally observed or examined the respondent within 45 days before the hearing (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-674)
Intellectual disability guardianship review
At least every 3 years, with reports filed within 45 days of the court's request (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-681)
Temporary limited guardian for a procedure
Not valid for more than 60 days, on certificates based on examinations within 30 days before filing (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-682)
Standby guardian confirmation for an adult with intellectual disability
The standby assumes the office immediately and the Probate Court confirms the appointment within 60 days (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-680)
Guardian authority over a small fund
Inventory within 60 days of the decree, written notice to the court within 30 days after assets first exceed ten thousand dollars, and authority ends on that date subject to a court extension of up to 60 days if a conservator petition is filed (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-677a)
Uncontested conservatorship
About 1 to 2 months from filing, driven by the statutory 30-day hearing clock rather than by court backlog. This is a practice estimate, not a statutory deadline
Contested case
6 to 12+ months where the case is contested or appealed to the Superior Court. This is a practice estimate, not a statutory deadline
Planning documents
A power of attorney and an advance directive naming your own conservator can usually be signed within a few weeks

Alternatives to consider before guardianship

Durable power of attorney

Financial, property and business decisions. A Connecticut power of attorney is durable unless it expressly says it ends on the principal's incapacity, so signing one while capable is what keeps a court out of the picture later. It also carries a nomination of the conservator the principal would want, and the court must honor that nomination unless the nominee is unwilling or unable to serve or there is substantial evidence to disqualify them.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 1-350c

Health care representative

Medical and treatment decisions, including accepting or refusing treatment and providing, withholding or withdrawing life support. Any adult may appoint one by a document signed and dated before two adult witnesses, and the appointee cannot be a witness. Connecticut then puts that appointment ahead of a conservator: absent a court order, the health care representative's decision about health care takes precedence over the conservator's, and a conservator cannot revoke an advance directive without express court authorization.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-576

Combined advance directive with conservator designation

Health care instructions, the health care representative appointment, the choice of a conservator of the person for future incapacity, and an anatomical gift, in one signed document. One statutory form does four jobs, and the conservator designation inside it is a formal § 45a-650 nomination the court must honor absent disqualification. The printed form also states that no bond shall be required of the named conservator or the successor.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 19a-575a

Voluntary representation

The same financial or personal decisions a conservator would handle, arranged by the adult rather than imposed. An adult who wants help but not a court finding of incapacity petitions for voluntary representation, and the court appoints without ever finding the petitioner incapable. The person can walk away with thirty days' written notice to the court, and if the petition excuses bond no bond is required unless the person later asks for one.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-646

Least restrictive means of intervention

Every conservatorship decision, from whether to appoint at all through each separate power the decree grants. This is a statutory gate, not advice. A Connecticut judge cannot appoint a conservator without finding by clear and convincing evidence that the appointment is the least restrictive means of intervention available, and cannot assign a single duty or authority without a separate finding of the clear and convincing evidence supporting it. The statute defines the phrase as intervention that meets the person's needs while affording the greatest amount of independence and self-determination.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-650

Revocable living trust

Whatever assets are titled in the trust. A named successor trustee manages trust assets if the settlor loses capacity, with no court appointment. For a trust instrument executed on or after January 1, 2020, the settlor may revoke or amend unless the terms expressly say the trust is irrevocable; for an instrument executed before that date, read the trust's own terms, because the statutory default does not reach back to it. Connecticut keeps the court connection narrow: a conservator may exercise the settlor's revocation, amendment or distribution powers only with the trustee's approval and the approval of the court supervising the conservatorship, and only if the trust does not expressly forbid it.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-499oo

Representative payee

Social Security and similar federal benefit income. A payee handles only the benefit checks. It is arranged through the federal agency, costs nothing, and takes away no other legal right.

42 U.S.C. § 405 (federal law)

Guardian authority over a small fund

The finances of an adult with an intellectual disability whose assets do not exceed ten thousand dollars. Rather than open a conservatorship of the estate, a plenary or limited guardian, the protected person, the person's legal representative, or the Commissioner of Developmental Services may petition the appointing court to let the guardian hold and manage those assets. The authority ends automatically once assets exceed ten thousand dollars, so it cannot quietly grow into something larger.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-677a

Standby guardian designation for a child

Care and control of a minor when a parent becomes incapacitated, debilitated or dies. A parent signs the statutory form with two witnesses now, and it switches on later when the stated contingency happens and someone files a written statement that it did, without a contested court case first. It runs one year, and only ninety days past the parent's death, so it buys time to file a guardianship petition rather than replacing one.

Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-624

Planning ahead: naming a guardian in advance

Naming a guardian in advance: Connecticut lets you pick your own conservator before you ever need one, and a judge has to honor that choice. Any adult of sound mind may name in writing the person they want appointed conservator of their person or estate, or as successor conservator, and that instrument can also excuse the person from posting a probate bond. You can make the same nomination inside a power of attorney or inside the combined advance directive that also appoints your health care representative. At the hearing the court must appoint the person you named unless it finds that person unwilling or unable to serve or there is substantial evidence to disqualify them. Parents get separate routes for children: appoint a guardian by will or by a signed writing with two witnesses, or sign a standby guardian designation that switches on when a stated contingency happens.

Guardianship costs

Court filing fee
$250 to file a conservatorship petition, a minor guardianship petition, or an intellectual-disability guardianship petition. Connecticut charges one flat statutory fee of two hundred fifty dollars for each of these filings under Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-106a, cross-checked against the Probate Court's published Filing Fees document at ctprobate.gov
Petition to modify or terminate
$250 to petition to modify a conservatorship at a periodic review or to terminate it (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-106a)
Annual account filing fee
$50 minimum and $500 maximum per year covered, calculated as the greater of 0.05% of the largest beginning or ending asset value or 0.05% of receipts (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-108a)
Continuance fee
$50 plus the actual cost of rescheduling the hearing, waivable for cause (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-106a)
Fee waiver for indigent petitioners
$0. The court must waive fees and necessary expenses, including service of process, where it finds the applicant unable to pay (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-111)
Service of the citation
Charged by the state marshal or constable who serves the citation in hand, plus any newspaper publication the court orders when an address is unknown
Physician report or evaluation
$150 - $600 for the physician's examination and written report the court requires. This is a national practice range, not a Connecticut-published rate
Attorney fees for the proceeding
$2,500 - $7,500+ for petitioner's counsel. This is a national practice range, not a Connecticut-published rate
Court appointed attorney for the respondent
$0 to the respondent where the court finds the respondent indigent or unable to pay: compensation is set by the Office of the Probate Court Administrator and paid from Judicial Department funds or the Probate Court Administration Fund (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-649a)
Conservator compensation when the person cannot pay
$0 to the conserved person. Where a conserved person cannot pay, the conservator's reasonable compensation is paid from the Probate Court Administration Fund at rates set by the Probate Court Administrator (Conn. Gen. Stat. § 45a-663)
Conservator bond premium
0.5% - 1% of estate value annually for the probate bond a conservator of the estate must give. This is a national practice range, not a Connecticut-published rate
Annual reporting costs
$1,000 - $2,500 per year where a professional conservator serves. This is a national practice range, not a Connecticut-published rate
Planning documents that avoid a court case
$150 - $400 for an attorney-drafted power of attorney and advance directive naming your own conservator. This is a national practice range, not a Connecticut-published rate

Costs vary by probate district and case. Verify current court fees with the local court.

Frequently asked questions

What is guardianship in Connecticut?
Connecticut splits this into two different court cases. An adult who can no longer manage money or personal care gets a conservator, not a guardian, under Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 45a-644 to 45a-663. A child, or an adult with an intellectual disability, gets a guardian. All of it is heard in the Probate Court for the probate district where the person lives, and the judge must find by clear and convincing evidence that the appointment is the least restrictive means of intervention available before taking any right away.
What are the alternatives to guardianship in Connecticut?
Less restrictive alternatives in Connecticut include Durable power of attorney, Health care representative, Combined advance directive with conservator designation, Voluntary representation. Courts generally must consider these options before appointing a guardian, because guardianship removes legal rights.
How long does the Connecticut guardianship process take?
A Connecticut conservatorship moves on statutory clocks rather than on court backlog. The hearing on an application for involuntary representation must be held not more than thirty days after the Probate Court receives it, with the citation served at least ten days before the hearing, so an uncontested case is usually decided within about one to two months of filing. Contested cases, cases that need the medical evidence requirement waived, and appeals to the Superior Court run longer. Case-length estimates are practice observations, not statutory deadlines.
Do I need a lawyer to file for guardianship in Connecticut?
Guardianship is a court proceeding that removes a person's legal rights, and it usually requires a medical or capacity evaluation and a formal hearing. Many families consult an elder-law or probate attorney before filing. Some Connecticut courts publish self-help resources, but the evaluation and hearing rules make professional guidance worth discussing early, even for straightforward cases.
Guardian vs. conservator in Connecticut: what is the difference?
Do not ask a Connecticut court for an adult guardianship. The word Connecticut uses for an adult who cannot manage money or personal care is conservatorship: a conservator of the estate handles finances, a conservator of the person handles living arrangements and medical consent, and the adult is called a conserved person. Guardian in Connecticut means one of two other things. A guardian of the person of a minor holds parental authority over a child, and a guardian of the estate of a minor manages a child's property. A plenary guardian or limited guardian is appointed for an adult whose intellectual disability is severe enough to meet the standard in § 45a-676, and that adult is called a protected person.
Statutes and sourcesOfficial references used for this page
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Information current as of August 1, 2026

Settled Estate is not a law firm, and this content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Probate laws and procedures in Connecticut can change. Consult with a qualified attorney for advice specific to your situation. Full disclaimer.

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