Decision making legal services

Giving you a voice

About legal support for decision making issues

ADA Law’s decision making legal service provides legal advice, representation, information and advocacy support to adults whose decision-making capacity is impaired or in question.

If you are an adult in Queensland, you are presumed to have the capacity to make your own decisions. However, sometimes your decision making capacity may be affected by age-related impairment, intellectual or developmental impairment, mental illness, or acquired brain injury.

If this has happened to you, then somebody else may be making your decisions for you. If you had an Enduring Power of Attorney, this person may be your decision-maker. If you did not have an Enduring Power of Attorney, someone may have applied to the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) to be your decision-maker, and QCAT may have appointed a Guardian and/or an Administrator.

Our service supports you to express your views, wishes and preferences at Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) hearings in relation to Guardianship, Administration and Enduring Power of Attorney matters. Our service also provides assistance with Enduring Powers of Attorney and Advance Health Directives.

How we can help

  • Mediating and resolving issues with your Attorney/s about your Enduring Power of Attorney
  • Information and advice on making and using an Enduring Power of Attorney
  • Information and advice on making and using Advance Health Directives
  • Legal representation at QCAT when:
    • You are subject to applications for Guardianship or Administration
    • Disagree with decisions of your decision makers and what to change decision makers
    • Wish to review existing Guardianship or Administration orders and become your own decision maker
    • Wish to review existing Enduring Powers of Attorney

Who is eligible

Adults who have a current QCAT hearing scheduled, or about to be scheduled. This includes adults with:

  • impaired decision-making capacity, who are unhappy with their appointed decision maker and wish to make changes
  • questioned decision-making capacity, who are at high risk of having appointed decision-makers put in place unnecessarily.

Where we work

How we work

Independent

Free from conflict of interest, not affiliated with statutory decision makers such as Office of the Public Guardian, the Public Trustee Queensland, Police, or with hospitals, your Attorney/s or aged care service providers.

Confidential

We seek client permission before acting and follow strict confidentiality processes.

Privacy

Privacy is paramount and we can only communicate with our clients directly and the people they authorise us to talk to.

Client Directed

We don’t make decisions for you. We can help you understand your options and follow your direction. We don’t take direction from your Attorneys or family members.

Free

Our services are free of charge.

Short Term & Issue Specific

We work with you to solve a specific problem.

What we cannot help with

ADA Law is a specialist disability and older person’s Queensland Community Legal Service. We are not a generalist legal service and cannot advise on:

  • Personal injury
  • Commercial matters
  • Immigration
  • Conveyancing
  • Criminal charges
  • Employment
  • Consumer issues
  • Coronial matters
  • Insurance matters
  • Family law

Resources

Understanding Decision Making in Queensland

Click here to download now

Making an Enduring
Power of Attorney

Click here to download now

Using an Enduring
Power of Attorney

Click here to download now

Get support