The 30 Day Bridge When Time Is Not on Your Side
A temporary, or emergency, conservatorship is a short term court order that gives a responsible person immediate legal authority to act for an adult who has suddenly lost the ability to manage their personal care, healthcare, or finances. It exists under California Probate Code 2250 precisely because the standard conservatorship process, which takes 60 to 90 days, is far too slow for true emergencies. A temporary conservatorship can be granted in as little as one to five court days, and it lasts up to 30 days, with extensions available up to 60 days while the permanent petition moves forward.
We file these petitions for adult children whose parent has just had a stroke, for spouses watching the onset of late stage dementia, and for families whose elderly relative is being financially exploited in real time. Speed matters, but so does evidence. The court will not grant a temporary conservatorship on suspicion. It requires sworn declarations, medical capacity statements, and a credible showing that the conservatee or their estate will suffer immediate, substantial harm without intervention.
A temporary conservatorship is not a substitute for a full conservatorship. It is a bridge. Once granted, you must continue prosecuting the permanent petition, or the temporary order will expire and the conservatee will be left unprotected.
Ex Parte Emergency Petition
We draft and file the ex parte petition for temporary conservatorship under Probate Code 2250, along with the supporting declarations, medical statements, and proposed orders the court requires before granting expedited relief.
Same Day Court Filing (LA County)
For genuine emergencies, we will file with the Los Angeles Superior Court probate department the same day you retain us. We are familiar with Stanley Mosk and Inglewood probate calendars and the local ex parte protocols.
Bridge to Permanent Conservatorship
A temporary order alone is not enough. We simultaneously file the general conservatorship petition so that when the 30 day window closes, your authority continues without a gap in protection.
Financial Exploitation Stop Orders
When an aging parent is being drained by a romance scam, a predatory caregiver, or a manipulative relative, we seek immediate orders freezing accounts, revoking suspect powers of attorney, and protecting the estate from further loss.
When an Emergency Conservatorship Is Appropriate
- A parent in the ICU after a stroke or cardiac event who cannot make healthcare decisions and has no advance directive
- Rapid dementia decline where a relative is signing checks, deeds, or transfer forms they no longer understand
- Active financial exploitation: a new "friend" added to the bank account, large unexplained wires, or a recent change to estate documents
- An adult child in psychiatric crisis whose treatment requires authority their parents no longer hold
- A hospital insisting on a placement decision the family cannot legally make without conservator authority
When the Standard 60 to 90 Day Process Is Enough
Not every difficult situation is an emergency. Where a parent has gradual cognitive decline, a valid durable power of attorney is in place, finances are stable, and there is no acute medical decision pending, the standard conservatorship timeline is the right path. Courts disfavor ex parte relief when the underlying facts have existed for months, because the rule requires immediate and substantial harm. We will be direct with you during the consultation about whether your facts genuinely support emergency relief, because filing a weak ex parte petition can damage your credibility on the permanent petition that follows.
Probate Code 2250 requires a showing that good cause exists to believe the proposed conservatee will suffer immediate and substantial harm without temporary protection. The court reads "immediate" literally. Months of mild concern is not enough. Days of acute risk is.
What You Will Need to Prove
The evidentiary burden on a temporary petition is real, even though notice can be shortened or waived in genuine emergencies. The court wants to see, at minimum:
- A capacity declaration from a physician, psychiatrist, or geriatric specialist describing the conservatee's current functional limits
- A declaration from the proposed temporary conservator describing the urgent risk in specific, dated terms
- Bank statements, transaction records, or hospital records that substantiate the harm described
- A clear statement of the limited powers requested and why each one is necessary in the next 30 days
- The simultaneously filed petition for general conservatorship that the temporary order will bridge to
The Emergency Conservatorship Process
From the moment you call, this is what we move through together. In a true emergency, steps 1 through 3 can happen in a single day.
Same Day Consultation & Triage
We meet, in person or by phone, and assess whether the facts support ex parte relief. We will tell you within an hour whether emergency is the right path or whether a standard petition is more appropriate.
Petition & Declarations Drafted
We draft the Probate Code 2250 petition, the supporting declarations of urgency, the proposed orders, and the general conservatorship petition that runs in parallel. You gather the medical and financial exhibits we identify.
Ex Parte Filing & Hearing
We file with the Los Angeles Superior Court probate department, provide whatever shortened notice the court permits given the urgency, and appear at the ex parte hearing. The court can rule the same day.
Court Investigator Visit
The court appoints an investigator who visits the conservatee, explains the proceedings, and reports back. In a temporary order, this visit usually happens within days, not weeks. We prepare you and the conservatee for what to expect.
Transition to Permanent
Within 30 days the permanent conservatorship hearing is held, and the temporary order is replaced by Letters of Conservatorship that carry forward without a gap. If more time is needed, we petition for a 30 day extension.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions from Los Angeles families facing a sudden conservatorship crisis.
In Los Angeles County, when the petition is properly papered and the evidence is strong, the court can rule on the same day or within a few court days. We have obtained ex parte orders the same afternoon we filed in genuine medical emergencies. The bottleneck is almost never the court. It is gathering the supporting declarations and medical documentation.
The initial order lasts up to 30 days. The court can extend it for additional 30 day periods, up to 60 days total, while the permanent petition is pending. If the permanent hearing is delayed beyond that, additional good cause must be shown.
Yes. The proposed conservatee has the right to be present at the hearing, to be represented by an attorney (including court appointed counsel), and to contest both the temporary and the permanent petitions. The court takes objections seriously, which is why credible evidence on the front end is so important.
Only the specific powers necessary to address the emergency. A temporary conservator does not automatically receive every power a permanent conservator would have. For example, the court may grant authority to consent to medical treatment and freeze accounts, but withhold authority to sell real estate or change the conservatee's residence. We ask for what is needed and no more.
Because emergency petitions require ex parte preparation, expedited declarations, and additional court appearances on top of the standard petition that runs alongside, total fees typically run 25 to 50 percent higher than a non emergency conservatorship. We provide a written engagement letter with a clear scope before we file anything.