There are a number of legal appointments that deal with eventualities such as the need to manage your finances, decisions about your health and guardianship. Each of these is different and requires clear direction from you.

A Power of Attorney is a formal legal document by which an individual appoints another individual, individuals or a company to act on their behalf. It gives the Attorney authority to effectively make legal, financial and personal decisions on your behalf.

An Enduring Power of Attorney remains valid even when a person is deemed to be mentally or physically incapacitated.

An Enduring Power of Guardianship authorises a person to make most decisions for a person who is mentally or physically incapacitated as if the guardian were that person. The types of decisions an enduring guardian might have to make include; approving care and management plans such as appointing doctors, decisions regarding treatment, surgery or medication but also extend to residency, types of leisure activities you participate in and who you can associate with or have visits from.

An Enduring Medical Power of Attorney restricts the decisions of the attorney to medical decisions only if you become mentally or physically incapacitated. Those decisions must usually be made in consultation with doctors and other relevant people. The medical agent will also have authority to override the powers of the enduring guardian in all matters specific to the medical power of attorney.