Section 1471 Of Chapter 4. Appointment Of Legal Counsel From California Probate Code >> Division 4. >> Part 1. >> Chapter 4.
1471
. (a) If a conservatee, proposed conservatee, or person alleged
to lack legal capacity is unable to retain legal counsel and
requests the appointment of counsel to assist in the particular
matter, whether or not that person lacks or appears to lack legal
capacity, the court shall, at or before the time of the hearing,
appoint the public defender or private counsel to represent the
interest of that person in the following proceedings under this
division:
(1) A proceeding to establish or transfer a conservatorship or to
appoint a proposed conservator.
(2) A proceeding to terminate the conservatorship.
(3) A proceeding to remove the conservator.
(4) A proceeding for a court order affecting the legal capacity of
the conservatee.
(5) A proceeding to obtain an order authorizing removal of a
temporary conservatee from the temporary conservatee's place of
residence.
(b) If a conservatee or proposed conservatee does not plan to
retain legal counsel and has not requested the court to appoint legal
counsel, whether or not that person lacks or appears to lack legal
capacity, the court shall, at or before the time of the hearing,
appoint the public defender or private counsel to represent the
interests of that person in any proceeding listed in subdivision (a)
if, based on information contained in the court investigator's report
or obtained from any other source, the court determines that the
appointment would be helpful to the resolution of the matter or is
necessary to protect the interests of the conservatee or proposed
conservatee.
(c) In any proceeding to establish a limited conservatorship, if
the proposed limited conservatee has not retained legal counsel and
does not plan to retain legal counsel, the court shall immediately
appoint the public defender or private counsel to represent the
proposed limited conservatee. The proposed limited conservatee shall
pay the cost for that legal service if he or she is able. This
subdivision applies irrespective of any medical or psychological
inability to attend the hearing on the part of the proposed limited
conservatee as allowed in Section 1825.