On September 28, 2026, Governor Newsom signed two bills that shake up how California handles mental health and conservatorship cases: SB 989 and SB 16. SB 16 is the one to pay attention to. It requires every county to build new training procedures for staff working on probate and LPS (Lanterman-Petris-Short) conservatorship cases. Why does this matter to you? If you’re in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, or Riverside County and caring for an aging parent, an adult child with a serious mental illness, or any loved one who needs help managing their affairs, this law touches your family directly. Already in a conservatorship case? Thinking about starting one? Trying to avoid one altogether through smart estate planning? Now’s the time to pull out your documents and get them reviewed. Protect your rights — we handle the rest.
What SB 989 and SB 16 Actually Do
Let’s break it down. CARE Court — short for Community Assistance, Recovery, and Empowerment Court — is a special civil court process created under California’s CARE Act. It lets family members, first responders, and others ask a court to connect someone with untreated, severe mental illness to treatment and housing support. Sometimes it works as an alternative to a full LPS conservatorship. LPS conservatorship, named after the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act, hands someone else the authority to make mental health treatment decisions for a person who can’t care for themselves because of serious mental illness. Probate conservatorship is a different animal, but related. It’s generally for elderly adults or people with dementia or other conditions affecting their daily decision-making.
SB 989 and SB 16 build on that original CARE Act framework. Based on bill information published by the California Legislature at leginfo.legislature.ca.gov, SB 16 tells each county behavioral health department to create real training procedures for court investigators, public guardians, and other staff handling probate and LPS conservatorship cases. The idea is simple: more consistent screening, clearer notice to families, fewer delays sitting in court. The Judicial Council oversees statewide court operations and posts general conservatorship resources at courts.ca.gov. Local superior courts will update their forms and local rules as these laws roll out — and our team is watching closely so you don’t have to.
How This Affects Families and Attorneys in LA, OC, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties
Southern California counties handle a large volume of conservatorship and CARE Court cases each year. In Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ontario, Pomona, and West Covina, court investigators and public guardian staff will need to complete new training under county-developed procedures. For families, this can mean:
Longer lead times before certain hearings while counties update staff training and internal procedures. More consistent paperwork and notice requirements across courthouses, since SB 16 pushes for standardized training rather than county-by-county variation. Possible new questions or documentation requests from court investigators who are applying updated screening practices. Attorneys who regularly appear in probate or mental health court, including those handling contested conservatorship petitions, should watch for local rule updates in each county’s superior court, since implementation timelines can differ between Los Angeles County Superior Court and the superior courts in Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties.
Families who are earlier in the process, for example deciding whether to petition for conservatorship over an aging parent, may also want to consider whether estate planning tools such as a durable power of attorney or an advance health care directive could reduce the need for a court-supervised conservatorship. These documents let a trusted person step in to manage finances or health decisions without a formal court case, as long as they were signed while the person still had legal capacity.
What You Should Do Now
If you have a loved one who may be affected by these changes, consider these steps:
1. Gather current legal documents, including any existing power of attorney, advance health care directive, or trust, and check whether they are still valid and reflect your family’s wishes. 2. If you are already involved in a probate or LPS conservatorship case, ask your attorney or the court clerk about any new notice requirements or scheduling changes tied to SB 16’s training rollout. 3. If you are considering a CARE Court petition for a loved one with a severe mental illness, start collecting medical records, prior treatment history, and documentation of recent incidents, since this information is usually needed at filing. 4. Talk with an attorney about whether a conservatorship is truly necessary or whether less restrictive options, like a power of attorney or supported decision-making arrangement, may work instead. 5. Keep an eye on announcements from your local superior court, since each county, including Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside, may roll out SB 16 training and procedures on a different timeline.
How Tez Law P.C. Can Help
Tez Law P.C., based in West Covina and Newport Beach, works with Southern California families on estate planning documents such as powers of attorney, advance health care directives, and trusts that can sometimes reduce the need for a full conservatorship. The firm also helps families understand the probate conservatorship process and prepares them for what to expect at hearings. When a conservatorship becomes contested or disputed among family members, the firm’s litigation team can assist with resolving disagreements in court. Founding attorney JJ Zhang (California Bar #326666) oversees the firm’s estate planning practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CARE Court?
CARE Court is a civil court process created under California’s CARE Act that connects people with untreated, severe mental illness to treatment and housing support plans. It is often used as an alternative to, or a step before, a full LPS conservatorship. Family members, first responders, and certain others can petition the court to start the process.
What changed under SB 989 and SB 16?
SB 989 and SB 16 were signed by Governor Newsom on September 28, 2026, and they strengthen procedures connected to CARE Court and conservatorship cases. SB 16 specifically requires California counties to develop training procedures for staff who handle probate and LPS conservatorship cases, aiming for more consistent practices statewide. Exact local implementation details are still being worked out by each county as of October 1, 2026.
Does SB 16 affect conservatorships that are already in place?
SB 16 focuses on training and procedures for court staff and investigators going forward, rather than automatically changing existing conservatorship orders. However, families with an existing LPS or probate conservatorship may still notice updated forms, notices, or review hearing procedures as counties roll out the new training requirements.
When do these new rules take effect?
The bills were signed on September 28, 2026, but counties generally need time to design and roll out training programs. Families and attorneys in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, and Riverside Counties should check with their local superior court for specific implementation dates, since timelines can vary by county.
Can estate planning help my family avoid a conservatorship?
In some cases, yes. A properly signed durable power of attorney and advance health care directive can let a trusted person manage finances or make health decisions without a court-supervised conservatorship, as long as these documents are in place before the person loses legal capacity. An attorney can review your family’s situation to see whether these tools may reduce the need for a formal conservatorship proceeding.
These new laws are a reminder that California’s conservatorship and CARE Court rules continue to change, and families in West Covina, Los Angeles, Anaheim, San Bernardino, Riverside, Ontario, and Pomona may want current legal guidance before a hearing date arrives. Tez Law P.C. invites you to schedule a consultation to discuss your family’s estate planning documents or an upcoming conservatorship matter.
This article is general information, not legal advice, and reading it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Laws and agency practices change; contact Tez Law P.C. at 626-678-8677 or [email protected] about your situation. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome.