NJ S3478

Requires conservatees and proposed conservatees to have legal counsel throughout all conservatorship proceedings, with attorneys required to personally interview their client within 72 hours before each hearing and certify compliance to the court

Mandates conservators file sworn inventories of property and formal accounting statements showing all expenditures at least every six months, with courts required to review these documents annually and appoint investigators when concerns arise

Eliminates the provision allowing "any person having concern for the financial or personal well-being" of a proposed conservatee to file for conservatorship, restricting filings to family members, social services officials, and institutional administrators

Grants automatic rights for family members and others receiving notice of proceedings to appear and testify at all conservatorship hearings, removing the current requirement for court approval to participate

Establishes conservator liability for breach of fiduciary duty when actions fall outside the conservatorship scope, violate conservatee rights, contradict the conservatee's best interests, or are otherwise improper for a fiduciary