ARTICLE 1. Capacity to Bind or Obligate Conservatorship Estate [1870. - 1876.]

Cal. Probate Code - PROB 1.

in effect

Cal. Probate Code - PROB § 1870. Section 1870.

As used in this article, unless the context otherwise requires, “transaction” includes, but is not limited to, making a contract, sale, transfer, or conveyance, incurring a debt or encumbering property, making a gift, delegating a power, and waiving a right.

Cal. Probate Code - PROB § 1871. Section 1871.

Nothing in this article shall be construed to deny a conservatee any of the following: (a) The right to control an allowance provided under Section 2421. (b) The right to control wages or salary to the extent provided in Section 2601. (c) The right to make a will. (d) The right to enter into transactions to the extent reasonable to provide the necessaries of life to the conservatee and the spouse and minor children of the conservatee and to provide the basic living expenses, as defined in Section 297 of the Family Code, to the domestic partner of the conservatee.

Cal. Probate Code - PROB § 1872. Section 1872.

(a) Except as otherwise provided in this article, the appointment of a conservator of the estate is an adjudication that the conservatee lacks the legal capacity to enter into or make any transaction that binds or obligates the conservatorship estate. (b) Except as otherwise provided in the order of the court appointing a limited conservator, the appointment does not limit the legal capacity of the limited conservatee to enter into transactions or types of transactions.

Cal. Probate Code - PROB § 1873. Section 1873.

(a) In the order appointing the conservator or upon a petition filed under Section 1874, the court may, by order, authorize the conservatee, subject to Section 1876, to enter into transactions or types of transactions as may be appropriate in the circumstances of the particular conservatee and conservatorship estate. The court, by order, may modify the legal capacity a conservatee would otherwise have under Section 1872 by broadening or restricting the power of the conservatee to enter into transactions or types of transactions as may be appropriate in the circumstances of the particular conservatee and conservatorship estate. (b) In an order made under this section, the court may include limitations or conditions on the exercise of the authority granted to the conservatee as the court determines to be appropriate including, but not limited to, the following: (1) A requirement that for specific types of transactions or for all transactions authorized by the order, the conservatee obtain prior approval of the transaction by the court or conservator before exercising the authority granted by the order. (2) A provision that the conservator has the right to avoid any transaction made by the conservatee pursuant to the authority of the order if the transaction is not one into which a reasonably prudent person might enter. (c) The court, in its discretion, may provide in the order that, unless extended by subsequent order of the court, the order or specific provisions of the order terminate at a time specified in the order. (d) An order under this section continues in effect until the earliest of the following times: (1) The time specified in the order, if any. (2) The time the order is modified or revoked. (3) The time the conservatorship of the estate is terminated. (e) An order under this section may be modified or revoked upon petition filed by the conservator, conservatee, the spouse or domestic partner of the conservatee, or any relative or friend of the conservatee, or any interested person. Notice of the hearing on the petition shall be given for the period and in the manner provided in Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 1460) of Part 1.

Cal. Probate Code - PROB § 1874. Section 1874.

(a) After a conservator has been appointed, a petition requesting an order under Section 1873 may be filed by any of the following: (1) The conservator. (2) The conservatee. (3) The spouse, domestic partner, or any relative or friend of the conservatee. (b) Notice of the hearing on the petition shall be given for the period and in the manner provided in Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 1460) of Part 1.

Cal. Probate Code - PROB § 1875. Section 1875.

A transaction that affects real property of the conservatorship estate, entered into by a person acting in good faith and for a valuable consideration and without knowledge of the establishment of the conservatorship, is not affected by any provision of this article or any order made under this article unless a notice of the establishment of the conservatorship or temporary conservatorship has been recorded prior to the transaction in the county in which the property is located.

Cal. Probate Code - PROB § 1876. Section 1876.

The provisions of this article relating to the legal capacity of a conservatee to bind or obligate the conservatorship estate, and the provisions of any order of the court broadening such capacity, do not displace but are supplemented by general principles of law and equity relating to transactions including, but not limited to, capacity to contract, joinder or consent requirements, estoppel, fraud, misrepresentation, duress, coercion, mistake, or other validating or invalidating cause.

Source: CA Legislative Counsel Bulk DataURL: https://downloads.leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/pubinfo_2025.zipFetched: 6/27/2026