Enduring Guardianship

One way of planning for your own future is to appoint an enduring guardian. If you lose the capacity to make your own decisions, an enduring guardian can make personal decisions on your behalf, such as where you should live and what medical treatment and services you should receive.

The NSW legislation governing enduring guardianship is the Guardianship Act 1987 (link at end of page). Other states and territories of Australia have their own legislation governing enduring guardianship. An enduring guardian appointed in NSW can only make decisions when the person under guardianship is in NSW. If you are planning to be in another state or move around, you should consider appointing an enduring guardian in each of those states/territories.

NSW recognises enduring guardians or their equivalents appointed in the other states and territories of Australia.

Reviews of enduring guardianship

The Tribunal can review the appointment of an enduring guardian on its own motion or at the request of anyone who the Tribunal considers has a genuine concern for the welfare of the person.

The Tribunal can suspend, revoke, confirm or vary the appointment of an enduring guardian. It can also declare the appointment has effect.

The appointment of an enduring guardian can only be revoked at the request of the appointed enduring guardian or if the Tribunal is satisfied that revocation is in the best interests of the person.

The Tribunal can appoint a substitute enduring guardian if the original enduring guardian has died, resigned or become incapacitated.

For more information

For further information read the brochure Planning Ahead... Enduring Guardianship

An Appointment of an Enduring Guardian form (36kb pdf file) and a Revocation of Appointment of an Enduring Guardian form (23kb pdf file) are available for download.

To speak to someone about enduring guardianship either contact the Guardianship Tribunal or contact a solicitor.

There are also some useful resources available from the Office of the Public Guardian:

Enduring Guardianship - Your way to plan ahead

http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/opg/ll_opg.nsf/vwFiles/EG_2005_final_version.pdf/$file/EG_2005_final_version.pdf

Enduring Guardianship fact sheet - Arabic

http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/opg/ll_opg.nsf/vwFiles/277120%20Arabic%20(corrected%20version).pdf/$file/277120%20Arabic%20(corrected%20version).pdf#target='_blank'

Enduring Guardianship fact sheet - Chinese

http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/opg/ll_opg.nsf/vwFiles/ChineseFS.pdf/$file/ChineseFS.pdf#target='_blank'

Enduring Guardianship fact sheet - Greek

http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/opg/ll_opg.nsf/vwFiles/Final_EG_factsheet_Greek_Eng.pdf/$file/Final_EG_factsheet_Greek_Eng.pdf

Enduring Guardianship fact sheet - Italian

http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/opg/ll_opg.nsf/vwFiles/Final_EG_factsheet_Italian_Eng.pdf/$file/Final_EG_factsheet_Italian_Eng.pdf

Enduring Guardianship fact sheet - Korean

http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/opg/ll_opg.nsf/vwFiles/KoreanFS.pdf/$file/KoreanFS.pdf#target='_blank'

Enduring Guardianship fact sheet - Macedonian

http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/opg/ll_opg.nsf/vwFiles/MacedonianFS%20(corrected%20version).pdf/$file/MacedonianFS%20(corrected%20version).pdf#target='_blank'

Enduring Guardianship fact sheet - Portugese

http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/opg/ll_opg.nsf/vwFiles/PortugeseFS%20(corrected%20version).pdf/$file/PortugeseFS%20(corrected%20version).pdf#target='_blank'

Enduring Guardianship fact sheet - Serbian

http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/opg/ll_opg.nsf/vwFiles/Serbian%20(corrected%20version).pdf/$file/Serbian%20(corrected%20version).pdf#target='_blank'

Enduring Guardianship fact sheet - Spanish

http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/opg/ll_opg.nsf/vwFiles/Spanish.pdf/$file/Spanish.pdf#target='_blank'

Enduring Guardianship fact sheet - Vietnamese

http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawlink/opg/ll_opg.nsf/vwFiles/Vienameset.pdf/$file/Vienameset.pdf#target='_blank'

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