If the person who needs a conservatorship (the proposed conservatee) receives public benefits or has a low income, you can ask the court to waive the conservatorship’s court fees by filing form FW-001-GC, the Request to Waive Court Fees. The court looks at the proposed conservatee’s finances, not the finances of the person petitioning to serve as conservator.
Who qualifies
The court looks at the proposed conservatee’s household. Your own income doesn’t count unless you’re the conservatee’s spouse or registered domestic partner and live in the household. There are three ways to qualify:
The proposed conservatee, or their spouse or registered domestic partner, receives public benefits such as SSI, Medi-Cal, SNAP, IHSS, or CalWORKs. If you check this box, you don’t need to provide further financial details.
The household’s gross monthly income is below the limit on the form. On the current form (revised March 2026), that’s $2,660 for a household of one, and the limit goes up with household size.
The household doesn’t have enough income to pay for its basic needs and the court fees. Here you can ask the court to waive all of the fees, some of them, or let you pay over time, and you’ll provide household financial information on page 4 of the form.
What a fee waiver covers
It can cover the filing fee for the petition, the court investigator’s assessment for the initial investigation and later reviews, and fees associated with getting certified documents from the court. Our post on how much a conservatorship costs has more information about the costs associated with a conservatorship.
How to ask for a fee waiver
File the Request to Waive Court Fees (FW-001-GC) with the court clerk, along with the Order on Court Fee Waiver (FW-003-GC). You fill out the top section of the order, and the court completes the rest. You can file it with your petition, or later in the case if the need comes up.
If you qualify through public benefits, you don’t have to fill out the financial page (page 4). Otherwise the form asks for the proposed conservatee’s income, their household’s income, their money and property, and their monthly expenses. The form also asks for the estimated value of the conservatee’s estate, if there is one, and whether the conservatee is a beneficiary of a trust. You sign under penalty of perjury, so the information needs to be complete and accurate.
Not sure whether you qualify?
If you’re not sure whether the proposed conservatee qualifies, I’m happy to talk you through it. I handle every case personally and serve families throughout Marin, the greater Bay Area, and beyond.
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This article is general information and is not legal, financial, or product advice, and is not an endorsement of any product. Product features and fees change over time — confirm current details with the provider. For guidance on managing a loved one's finances, please consult a qualified attorney.
