Conservatorship for the "Gravely Disabled": California's Nondeclaration of Nonindependence

This article addresses the evolution and current use of the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act conservatees and evaluates the adequacy of counsel in representing potential conservatees through a study of the conservatorship adjudicatory process. The author begins by explaining the history of California law regarding civil commitment for the mentally disordered. The author then continues on to discuss the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act and some of its problems. Next, the author discusses a proposed solution.

The author concludes by giving a real world example of how the law actually operates and calls upon lawyers representing proposed conservatees to make the most of the their opportunity to reform the current system.