Legal Question in Elder Law in California

Pre-existing debt, no. Only his assets and any income he may receive are available to pay his debts before and after you become conservator. Debts incurred once you are the conservator can be more tricky. Since conservatees rarely have a lot of money, transactions you enter into in your capacity as conservator will need to be carefully reviewed to make sure you are not taking on personal liablity, and in some cases, such as nursing homes for example, they will not accept the conservatee unless you agree to be personally responsible for any charges.