Advice
Basic initial advice to help you understand the issue and consider your next steps.
What are powers of attorney and decision-making documents?
Decision-making documents help you choose who can make or support decisions and record wishes for your future care. In Victoria, different documents do different jobs. An enduring power of attorney and a medical treatment decision-maker appointment are separate arrangements.
Choosing the right document
- Enduring power of attorney: appoints someone for specified financial or personal matters. It can continue if you later lose capacity to make those decisions. It does not authorise medical treatment decisions.
- Medical treatment decision maker: a separate appointment for someone to make medical treatment decisions when you cannot make those decisions yourself.
- Advance care directive: records instructions or preferences and values about future medical treatment. It is different from appointing another person.
Other documents, including supportive or non-enduring powers of attorney, may suit different needs. Consider who you trust, the authority you want to give and the signing requirements. Ask for advice before changing existing documents.
Questions we can discuss
- Which decision-making document suits the decisions you have in mind.
- Choosing a trusted person and understanding their role.
- Understanding existing documents and their limits.
- Concerns about pressure, misuse or decision-making capacity.
How we may help
- Basic initial information about decision-making documents.
- Assessment of whether advice or help with your documents is available.
- Referral to specialist advice or the Office of the Public Advocate where appropriate.
What level of assistance can we offer?
We assess each matter individually, taking account of its suitability and our available resources. An enquiry or appointment does not guarantee ongoing assistance or representation.
Referral
Information about another legal or support service when specialist help is needed or we cannot assist.
Further assistance
A specific legal task or ongoing casework may be available, decided case by case and subject to resources.
What we do not do
- Commercial or business matters.
- Conveyancing, real-estate transactions and property ownership disputes.
- Personal injury claims and WorkCover.
We do not carry out property transactions under a power of attorney. Document preparation or witnessing is not guaranteed. Help with disputes, guardianship or tribunal proceedings depends on assessment and resources.
Prepare for your appointment
- Bring any existing powers of attorney or medical treatment decision-making documents.
- Consider the decisions you want covered and who you trust to assist.
- Bring questions and tell us about any pressure or concern about misuse.
Talk to us
Contact Southport Community Legal Service to discuss an appointment.
Call 03 9646 6066, 0490 934 661 or 0440 131 920.
Email [email protected].
Further information
- Victoria Legal Aid: powers of attorney
- Office of the Public Advocate: planning ahead
- Office of the Public Advocate: making an enduring power of attorney
- Victorian Department of Health: medical treatment decision makers
- Victorian Department of Health: medical treatment planning and decisions
This page provides general information. Ask for advice about your own circumstances. Information reviewed September 2026.