We like to think that judges are impartial arbiters of justice and that medical professionals--as a physician myself, I know this should always be true--only have the best interests of their patients at heart. Unfortunately, as a growing number of elderly Americans and their families are discovering, that isn’t always the case. Conservatorship abuse has been a largely silent problem for decades, but the recent documentary about Britney Spears’s problems has given it a higher profile. Unlike Ms. Spears, who has legions of fans eager to speak in her behalf, most victims of conservatorship abuse can only rely on the advocacy of friends and family. Even if victims have ample financial resources, that’s frequently not enough to overcome the combined authority of the government and medical “experts” and lawyers hired by conservators.