2016 Connecticut General Statutes
Title 45a - Probate Courts and Procedure
Chapter 802h - Protected Persons and Their Property
Section 45a-649 - (Formerly Sec. 45-70c). Notice re application for involuntary representation, determination of jurisdiction or transfer of conservatorship to another state. Form of notice. Appointment of counsel.
(a)(1) Upon an application for involuntary representation, the court shall issue a citation to the following enumerated parties to appear before it at a time and place named in the citation, which shall be served on the parties at least ten days before the hearing date, or in the case of an application made pursuant to section 17a-543 or 17a-543a, at least seven days before the hearing date. Except as provided in subsection (c) of section 45a-648, or unless continued by the court for cause shown, the hearing on an application under this section shall be held not more than thirty days after the receipt of the application by the Probate Court. Notice of the hearing shall be sent not more than thirty days after receipt of the application. In addition to such notice, (A) notice for a matter brought under sections 45a-667g to 45a-667o, inclusive, shall be given in the manner provided in section 45a-667n, and (B) notice for a matter brought under section 45a-667p shall be given in the manner provided in section 45a-667q.
(2) The court shall direct that personal service of the citation be made, by a state marshal, constable or an indifferent person, upon the following: The respondent and the respondent's spouse, if any, if the spouse is not the applicant, except that in cases where the application is for involuntary representation pursuant to section 17b-456, and there is no spouse, the court shall order notice by certified mail to the children of the respondent and if none, the parents of the respondent and if none, the brothers and sisters of the respondent or their representatives, and if none, the next of kin of such respondent.
(3) The court shall order such notice as it directs to the following: (A) The applicant; (B) the person in charge of welfare in the town where the respondent is domiciled or resident and, if there is no such person, the first selectman or chief executive officer of the town if the respondent is receiving assistance from the town; (C) the Commissioner of Social Services, if the respondent is in a state-operated institution or receiving aid, care or assistance from the state; (D) the Commissioner of Veterans Affairs if the respondent is receiving veterans' benefits or the Veterans Residential Services facility, or both, if the respondent is receiving aid or care from said facility, or both; (E) the Commissioner of Administrative Services, if the respondent is receiving aid or care from the state; (F) the children of the respondent and if none, the parents of the respondent and if none, the brothers and sisters of the respondent or their representatives; (G) the person in charge of the hospital, nursing home or some other institution, if the respondent is in a hospital, nursing home or some other institution.
(4) The court, in its discretion, may order such notice as it directs to other persons having an interest in the respondent and to such persons the respondent requests be notified.
(5) If personal service of the notice required in subsection (b) of this section is not made as required in subdivision (2) of this subsection, the court shall be deprived of jurisdiction over the application.
(b) The notice required by subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of this section shall specify (1) the nature of involuntary representation sought and the legal consequences thereof, (2) the facts alleged in the application, (3) the date, time and place of the hearing, and (4) that the respondent has a right to be present at the hearing and has a right to be represented by an attorney of the respondent's choice at the respondent's own expense. The notice shall also include a statement in boldface type of a minimum size of twelve points in substantially the following form:
“POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES OF THE APPOINTMENT
OF A CONSERVATOR FOR YOU
This court has received an application to appoint a conservator for you. A conservator is a court-appointed legal guardian who may be assigned important decision-making authority over your affairs. If the application is granted and a conservator is appointed for you, you will lose some of your rights.
A permanent conservator may only be appointed for you after a court hearing. You have the right to attend the hearing on the application for appointment of a permanent conservator. If you are not able to access the court where the hearing will be held, you may request that the hearing be moved to a convenient location, even to your place of residence.
You should have an attorney represent you at the hearing on the application. If you are unable to obtain an attorney to represent you at the hearing, the court will appoint an attorney for you. If you are unable to pay for representation by an attorney, the court will pay attorney fees as permitted by the court's rules. Even if you qualify for payment of an attorney on your behalf, you may choose an attorney if the attorney will accept the attorney fees permitted by the court's rules.
If, after a hearing on the application, the court decides that you lack the ability to care for yourself, pay your bills or otherwise manage your affairs, the court may review any alternative plans you have to get assistance to handle your own affairs that do not require appointment of a conservator. If the court decides that there are no adequate alternatives to the appointment of a conservator, the court may appoint a conservator and assign the conservator responsibility for some or all of the duties listed below. While the purpose of a conservator is to help you, you should be aware that the appointment of a conservator limits your rights. Among the areas that may be affected are:
- Accessing and budgeting your money
- Deciding where you live
- Making medical decisions for you
- Paying your bills
- Managing your real and personal property
You may participate in the selection of your conservator. If you have already designated a conservator or if you inform the court of your choice for a conservator, the court must honor your request unless the court decides that the person designated by you is not appropriate.
The conservator appointed for you may be a lawyer, a public official or someone whom you did not know before the appointment. The conservator will be required to make regular reports to the court about you. The conservator may charge you a fee, under the supervision of the court, for being your conservator.”
(c) Notice to all other persons required by this section shall only be required to state that involuntary representation is sought, the nature of the involuntary representation sought, the legal consequences of the involuntary representation and the date, time and place of the hearing on the application for involuntary representation.
(d) If the respondent is unable to request or obtain an attorney for any reason, the court shall appoint an attorney to represent the respondent in any proceeding under this title involving the respondent. If the respondent is unable to pay for the services of such attorney, the reasonable compensation for such attorney shall be established by, and paid from funds appropriated to, the Judicial Department, except that if funds have not been included in the budget of the Judicial Department for such purposes, such compensation shall be established by the Probate Court Administrator and paid from the Probate Court Administration Fund.
(e) If the respondent notifies the court in any manner that the respondent wants to attend the hearing on the application but is unable to do so, the court shall schedule the hearing on the application at a place that would facilitate attendance by the respondent.
(P.A. 77-446, S. 3; 77-614, S. 521, 587, 610; P.A. 78-303, S. 85, 136; P.A. 79-358, S. 3; 79-501, S. 1; P.A. 80-476, S. 128; P.A. 81-223; P.A. 83-295, S. 25; P.A. 84-271, S. 4; P.A. 86-195, S. 1; P.A. 89-64; P.A. 90-31, S. 6, 9; P.A. 93-262, S. 1, 87; P.A. 96-170, S. 17, 23; P.A. 97-90, S. 5, 6; P.A. 00-99, S. 86, 154; P.A. 01-127, S. 2; P.A. 04-169, S. 20; P.A. 07-116, S. 14; P.A. 10-32, S. 136; P.A. 12-22, S. 26; P.A. 13-81, S. 9; P.A. 16-167, S. 44.)
History: P.A. 77-614 and P.A. 78-303 replaced commissioner of social services with commissioner of human resources, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 79-358 required that commissioner of administrative services be issued citation to appear if respondent is receiving aid or care from the state; P.A. 79-501 authorized court to appoint attorney and to pay for his services if respondent is unable to do so and added provision re contents of notice to persons other than those listed in Subsec. (a)(1) in Subsec. (b); P.A. 80-476 reworded provisions; P.A. 81-223 amended Subsec. (a)(1) to add exception re notice in cases where application for involuntary representation is made pursuant to Sec. 46a-20 and there is no spouse; P.A. 83-295 amended Subsec. (b) to provide that the “reasonable compensation” for an attorney appointed to represent a respondent who is unable to pay shall be “established by” the judicial department; P.A. 84-271 amended Subsec. (a) by providing that the hearing date shall not be more than 30 days after receipt of the application unless continued for cause shown, by authorizing service upon counsel for the respondent or the appointed attorney if the court finds personal service upon the respondent would be detrimental to the respondent and by authorizing the court to order notice “to such persons the respondent requests be notified”; P.A. 86-195 amended Subsec. (a) by deleting requirement of personal service to person in charge of hospital, nursing home or other institution and substituting such notice as court directs to such person; P.A. 89-64 amended Subsec. (b) to provide that court-appointed counsel shall represent respondent in any proceeding under title where previously limited to hearings under the chapter; P.A. 90-31 amended Subsec. (b) by changing compensation of counsel from funds appropriated to the judicial department to the probate administration fund in an amount established by the probate court administrator; Sec. 45-70c transferred to Sec. 45a-649 in 1991; P.A. 93-262 authorized substitution of commissioner and department of social services for commissioner and department of human resources, effective July 1, 1993; P.A. 96-170 amended Subsec. (b) by changing funding of compensation of counsel from Probate Court Administration Fund to funds appropriated to Judicial Department, unless funds not included in budget of Judicial Department for such purpose, effective July 1, 1998; P.A. 97-90 revised effective date of P.A. 96-170 but without affecting this section; P.A. 00-99 replaced reference to sheriff and deputy sheriff with state marshal in Subsec. (a), effective December 1, 2000; P.A. 01-127 amended Subsec. (a)(2)(D) by eliminating requirement that notice to Administrator of Veterans Affairs be by registered or certified mail; P.A. 04-169 amended Subsec. (a)(2)(D) to substitute Commissioner of Veterans' Affairs for Administrator of Veterans Affairs, to change the name of the Veterans Home and Hospital to the Veterans' Home and to make a technical change, effective June 1, 2004; P.A. 07-116 reorganized Subsec. (a) by inserting new Subdiv. designators (1) to (4), amended Subsec. (a)(1) to substitute “ten days” for “seven days” and add “or in the case of an application made pursuant to section 17a-543 or 17a-543a, at least seven days before the hearing date”, amended Subsec. (a)(2) to delete exception re service to respondent if detrimental to health or welfare of respondent, added Subsec. (a)(5) re court being deprived of jurisdiction if required personal service is not made, deleted former Subdiv. designators in Subsec. (b), amended Subsec. (b) to add “of the respondent's choice” re attorney representation and insert form of notice and statement to be provided to respondent, inserted new Subsec. (c) re notice to all other persons, designated existing provisions re appointment of attorney and place of hearing as Subsecs. (d) and (e), and made technical changes; P.A. 10-32 made technical changes in Subsec. (b), effective May 10, 2010; P.A. 12-22 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by adding Subpara. (A) re notice in matter under Secs. 45a-667g to 45a-667o and adding Subpara. (B) re notice in matter under Sec. 45a-667p; P.A. 13-81 amended Subsec. (a)(1) to add exception as provided in Sec. 45a-648(c) re date of hearing on application and make technical and conforming changes; P.A. 16-167 amended Subsec. (a)(3)(D) to replace “Commissioner of Veterans' Affairs” with “Commissioner of Veterans Affairs”, to replace “Veterans' Home” with “Veterans Residential Services facility” and to make a conforming change, effective July 1, 2016.
Under 2005 revision, primary purpose of Subsec. (b) is to ensure that respondents and conserved persons are fully informed of the nature of the proceedings and that their articulated preferences are zealously advocated by a trained attorney both during the proceedings and during the conservatorship; absolute quasi-judicial immunity does not extend to attorneys appointed to represent respondents in conservatorship proceedings or to attorneys appointed to represent conserved persons. 304 C. 234.
