Health Planning
BC Moves to Allow Remote Witnessing of Wills, Powers of Attorney, and Representation Agreements
For hundreds of years in common-law jurisdictions around the world, a will-maker has been required to sign their will in the physical presence of the witnesses and the witnesses have been required to sign the will in the presence of the will-maker. Similar requirements have generally been applicable to the execution of Powers of Attorney and documents that allow one to appoint someone to make health and personal care decisions (a “Representation Agreement” in BC).
Read MoreEmployee Safety Requirements in Phase 2 of BC’s COVID-19 Restart Plan
As we roll into Phase 2 of BC’s Restart Plan many employers in BC are looking to open their doors again and bring staff back to the workplace. Before doing so, employers should make sure they are aware of, and have a plan for, how to meet new health and safety requirements that have been…
Read MoreDeemed Consent to Psychiatric Treatment in BC
In BC a person may be involuntarily admitted to a psychiatric facility under the Mental Health Act (“MHA”), and treated without any need to obtain consent, if a doctor is of the opinion that the person “has a disorder of the mind that requires treatment and seriously impairs the person’s ability to react appropriately to…
Read MoreTemporary Substitute Decision Makers for Health and Personal Care
In B.C., if health and personal care decisions need to be made on your behalf and you do not have (or have the capacity to create) a Section 7 or Section 9 representation agreement, determinations about who can make such decisions will (with some exceptions) be governed by the Health Care (Consent) and Care Facility…
Read MoreSection 7 Representation Agreements – Substitute Decision Makers for Health and Personal Care in British Columbia
In British Columbia, if one has become incapable of making one’s own health or personal care decisions but still wishes to appoint someone to make such decisions on one’s behalf, one may be able do so by creating a representation agreement in accordance with Section 7 of the Representation Agreement Act (a “Section 7 RA”).…
Read MoreSection 9 Representation Agreements – Plan for Incapacity, Pick your Person
In British Columbia, if you wish to appoint someone to make health and personal care decisions on your behalf in the event you become incapable of doing so, you may make a representation agreement in accordance with Section 9 of the Representation Agreement Act (a “Section 9 RA”). A Section 9 RA allows you to…
Read MoreRepresentation Agreements – Choosing Who Can Choose
In British Columbia, you can appoint someone with the authority to make health and personal care decisions for you in the event that you are unable to do so. You can do this by creating a document known as a representation agreement. A representation agreement (“RA”) allows you to explicitly grant this authority to…
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