If a person qualifies for the appointment of a conservator and they have not chosen their conservator, the Probate Court may appoint one. All conservators appointed by the court must be qualified in accordance with C.G.S. § 45a-650(h). All conservators must adhere to the Connecticut Standards of Practice for Conservators. After appointment, the question of compensation for the conservator is commonly asked.

Many conservators serve without compensation. In more complex cases and cases in which no family member is available to serve, the conservator may, with approval from the Probate Court, be paid from the income and assets of the conserved person under Rule 39 of the Probate Court Rules of Procedure. If the conserved person is indigent, the conservator may be eligible for payment from the Probate Court Administration Fund under Probate Court Regulation 16.  

If you wish to be a conservator for indigent conserved persons in the Probate Courts, please complete both the State of Connecticut Agency Vendor Form (SP-26NB) and the W-9 (see below). These forms are also available at www.das.state.ct.us. Mail the completed forms to the Office of the Probate Court Administrator. The tax identification number, business entity, name and address must match on both forms.

For answers to frequently asked questions, please click here: FAQs about Conservator Compensation.

The State of Connecticut Comptroller’s Office offers Electronic Funds Transfer (EFT) for payments and a Vendor Self-Service website for accounts payable information. Conservators who would like to participate in these services should send the ETF form and a copy of the W-9 to the address at the top of the EFT form. The forms are located below.

Regulation 16 Conservator Compensation

Compensation under Regulation 16 is an hourly rate with defined terms and conditions for continuing qualification, invoicing, and compensable services. The fee schedule below contains instructions on how to submit the invoice. Assign a unique invoice number to each invoice and submit the invoice to the Probate Court within six months from the date services are rendered. Invoices submitted later than six months from the date services were provided cannot be paid by the Probate Court Administration Fund. 

Contract Conservators

The Contract Conservator Program is an alternative compensation system for conservators serving indigent conserved persons.

The Contract Conservator Program is a fixed monthly fee compensation arrangement for court-appointed conservators serving indigent conserved persons. The program aims to improve efficiency by replacing hourly rate billing with a simple flat-fee alternative. The flat fee structure is intended to deliver reasonable compensation through a streamlined billing process for conservators who take on a high number of cases representing varying degrees of complexity.    

Participation in the contract conservator program is voluntary. Conservators who opt into the program are compensated under the terms of the agreement for all appointments on behalf of indigent individuals. Contract conservators are not eligible for the hourly rate compensation under Regulation 16. The following is a summary of the key elements of the contract conservator program:   

Contract Conservator Eligibility

• No minimum number of current conservatorships to enroll 
• Contractor specifies Probate Courts from which appointments will be accepted and maximum number of appointments (must be willing to accept at least ten) 
• Contractor must accept all appointments within those parameters    

Contract Conservator Compensation 

• Flat rate of $90 per month per client for service as conservator of person or estate or both 
• Additional one-time flat fee of $1,300 to handle Title XIX application 
• Rates apply to all of contractor’s appointments for indigent individuals   

Contract Conservator Quality Control Requirements

• Adherence to Connecticut Standards of Practice for Conservators. 
• Criminal background checks 
• Background screening for caseworkers 
• 24/7 caseworker availability 
• Completion of self-study training program for professional conservators 
• 3 hours annual continuing education 
• General and professional liability insurance and third party surety bond   

Contract Conservator Enrollment 

• Contractor may join on first day of July, October, January or April 
• Contracts renew automatically each July 1st   

The form agreement for participation in the Contract Conservator Program and instructions for completion can be found by clicking the link below. Agreements must be signed electronically and returned by email. To obtain the contract electronically, contact Attorney Eric Rothauser at Eric.Rothauser@ctprobate.gov or (860) 231-2442 ext. 311.  

Please feel free to contact the Office of the Probate Court Administrator with any questions at (860) 231-2442.​​ Please also review helpful frequently asked questions tied to the Contract Conservator Compensation here.