You may arrange in advance how, when and by whom, decisions about your health care, personal care or financial affairs or about other matters will be made if you become incapable of making decisions independently.  You may appoint another adult, the Public Guardian and Trustee or a credit union or trust company as representative.  However, if you appoint a credit union or trust company their authority under the representation agreement is confined to your financial affairs, business or assets and to related legal matters. A representation agreement is invalid unless each representative completes a representative certificate in the prescribed form. You may appoint alternate representatives if you choose.

You may authorize your representative to make decisions about your health care, personal care or financial affairs without a consultation certificate.  If you want to do allow your representative to make certain decisions regarding your health care, make arrangements to support your dependents, conduct your business, dispose of your assets and invest your assets, you must consult with a member of the Law Society of British Columbia or anyone who belongs to a prescribed class of persons and that person must sign a consultation certificate stating the date and place of the consultation.

You may appoint a monitor to oversee the performance of your representation agreement by your representative.  The monitor has an absolute right to visit you at all times during your period of incapacity.  If reasons exist to believe that the representative is not properly performing his or her duties, your monitor may require the representative to produce accounting records or to report to him or her on the matters specified.  Your monitor must complete a certificate of monitor. You need not appoint a monitor if you state in your representation agreement that one is not needed.  We have provided two forms, one which allows for the appointment of a monitor and another which states one is not needed. 

After you have completed your representation agreement and printed it out, you must gather two witnesses for signing.  If you are unable to sign for some reason, you may appoint some to sign for you.  This person must complete a certificate of person signing for the adult.  The witnesses must sign the representation agreement and also sign a certificate of witnesses.

This representation agreement consists of approximately four pages.

You may appoint an agent to perform any act which you could personally perform.  If you want to limit the power of your attorney to a specific act or acts you may do so.   You can appoint one attorney or two attorneys to act on your behalf.  You can either require that they act together or permit them to act separately.