A conservatorship protects people who cannot manage their money due to age, illness, or disability. Unfortunately, the person in charge of finances, like the conservator, does not always act in the best interests of the person they are supposed to protect. If you suspect financial abuse, it’s important to act quickly.
Here’s how to spot the signs and protect your loved one.
Signs of Financial Abuse
Look out for these red flags:
- Strange account activity
Large withdrawals, unexplained purchases, or transfers of money. - Changes in financial plans
Unexpected updates to wills or other important documents. - Unpaid bills
The person’s utilities or care are neglected even though there is enough money to pay for them. - Blocked access to records
The conservator will not share financial information or explain their actions. - Sudden wealth
The conservator’s lifestyle changes, like buying expensive items or taking trips.
Steps to Take if You Suspect Abuse
- Gather Information
Keep notes and collect evidence of suspicious behavior, like bank statements, receipts, or emails. This will help you explain the situation clearly. - Report to Adult Protective Services (APS)
In Missouri, APS investigates the abuse and exploitation of vulnerable adults. You can call their hotline at 1-800-392-0210 or file a report online. They will investigate and may involve law enforcement if needed. - Inform the Court
Conservators are monitored by the court. If you believe they are misusing funds, let the court know. You can request an investigation, which might include reviewing the conservator’s financial reports or even replacing them. - Contact Local Authorities
If you think money has been stolen, report it to the police. Financial abuse is a crime, and law enforcement can take action.
Get Legal Help
Dealing with financial abuse in a conservatorship can be overwhelming. A knowledgeable lawyer can help you understand your options and take action to protect your loved one.
At Kranitz, Sadoun & Carpenter, we have years of experience helping families in St. Joseph, Missouri handle conservatorship problems and financial abuse cases. We are here to listen, guide you through the process, and fight for what’s right.
If you are worried about financial abuse in a conservatorship, don’t wait. Contact Kranitz, Sadoun & Carpenter today for advice and support.
๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ค๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ช๐ค๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ง ๐ข ๐ญ๐ข๐ธ๐บ๐ฆ๐ณ ๐ช๐ด ๐ข๐ฏ ๐ช๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ณ๐ต๐ข๐ฏ๐ต ๐ฅ๐ฆ๐ค๐ช๐ด๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฉ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ญ๐ฅ ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฃ๐ฆ ๐ฃ๐ข๐ด๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ด๐ฐ๐ญ๐ฆ๐ญ๐บ ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ท๐ฆ๐ณ๐ต๐ช๐ด๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ต๐ด. ๐๐ฉ๐ช๐ด ๐ฑ๐ฐ๐ด๐ต ๐ด๐ฉ๐ข๐ณ๐ฆ๐ด ๐จ๐ฆ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐ณ๐ข๐ญ ๐ช๐ฏ๐ง๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐ข๐ฃ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ต ๐๐ช๐ด๐ด๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ๐ช ๐ญ๐ข๐ธ ๐ข๐ฏ๐ฅ ๐ช๐ด ๐ฏ๐ฐ๐ต ๐ญ๐ฆ๐จ๐ข๐ญ ๐ข๐ฅ๐ท๐ช๐ค๐ฆ. ๐๐ฐ๐ณ ๐จ๐ถ๐ช๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐ค๐ฆ ๐ฐ๐ฏ ๐บ๐ฐ๐ถ๐ณ ๐ด๐ช๐ต๐ถ๐ข๐ต๐ช๐ฐ๐ฏ, ๐ด๐ฑ๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ธ๐ช๐ต๐ฉ ๐ข ๐ฒ๐ถ๐ข๐ญ๐ช๐ง๐ช๐ฆ๐ฅ ๐ข๐ต๐ต๐ฐ๐ณ๐ฏ๐ฆ๐บ.