You may have read news stories about conservatorship proceedings. A lot of reports address the problems faced by famous people subject to conservatorships. Maybe you’ve seen stories about Britney Spears,  Amanda Bynes, Michael Oher, and/or Wendy Williams.

But did you understand that the very word “conservatorship” means different things in different states? We talk about the variable uses of the term. We also help you distinguish between guardianship and conservatorship in news stories — and clear up the common misconception that they are the same thing. They are not the same, and the terms are not even the same from state to state. We try to demystify the variable use of the term.