Jay Leno granted conservatorship of his wife's estate following dementia diagnosis

Former late-night talk show host Jay Leno was granted conservatorship of his wife's estate after he revealed that she is suffering from dementia.

Leno, 73, is "suitable and qualified" to be the conservator of Mavis Leno's estate, according to court documents filed Tuesday in Los Angeles County Superior Court.

He first filed for conservatorship in January. The petition said Mavis Leno, 77, had "been progressively losing capacity and orientation to space and time for several years."

Last week, a court-appointed lawyer recommended approving Leno's request, saying his wife "sometimes does not know her husband, Jay, nor her date of birth."

The lawyer, who spoke with Mavis Leno and her doctor, said in a court filing that she experiences "a lot of disorientation" and "will ruminate about her parents who have both passed."

The lawyer said that Leno and his wife "have a long-term, loving and supportive relationship" and that Leno's petition was necessary to protect them both.

Leno, the former host of NBC's "Tonight Show," and his wife have been together for more than 43 years. Throughout that time, Leno has always handled their finances, the petition filed in January said. The couple do not have any children.

This article was originally published on NBCNews.com