Who decides? Guardianship and administration in Queensland

In Queensland, an adult who is considered to lack decision-making capacity may have someone else formally appointed to manage their personal and financial matters.  

This is called guardianship and administration, and there are similar laws in each state and territory that aim to protect the right of decision-making autonomy for adults with impaired capacity.

On Monday 26 September, join Your Story Disability Legal Support for a webinar about Queensland’s guardianship system presented by Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion (QAI).

Dayne Kingsford is a Principal Solicitor in QAI’s Human Rights Advocacy Practice, where he assists people in the areas of disability discrimination, human rights, and guardianship and administration.

During the one-hour webinar, Dayne will cover:

  • The overview and structure of the Guardianship and Administration Act 2000 (Qld)
  • The Act’s general principles
  • The Act and capacity
  • How guardianship and administration orders are made
  • Who may be appointed as a guardian and/or administrator
  • Reviews of guardianship and administration orders
  • Guardianship and administration proceedings, including limitation orders (e.g., confidentiality orders), and
  • Alternatives under the Act to the appointment of a guardian and administrator.

Participants will also hear from Your Story lawyer Steve Wettenhall, who will talk about the Disability Royal Commission, and the free supports available to people with disability and their families, friends, carers, advocates and supporters.

This is a free event for anyone interested in finding out about guardianship law in Queensland and the chance to share stories about guardianship with the Disability Royal Commission.

It will include Auslan interpreters and live captions, and you can join using Zoom or Facebook. Please visit the Eventbrite page to register and submit your questions to the panellists.

Important: There are laws in each state and territory restricting information about guardianship proceedings, which may affect how you share your story with the Disability Royal Commission. The laws vary and we recommend you speak to a lawyer from Your Story Disability Legal Support to get advice about your own situation and safe ways to share your story.

Please do not disclose any personal information about a person under a guardianship order or who has previously been involved in guardianship proceedings in your questions or during the webinar.

Date and time: Monday 26 September from 12.30pm to 1.30pm AEST

Location: Online (please register to receive a link)

Cost: Free to attend

Register: Please visit Eventbrite to register

Meet the speakers

Dayne Kingsford

Dayne Kingsford

Dayne is a Principal Solicitor in Queensland Advocacy for Inclusion’s (QAI) Human Rights Advocacy Practice, where he has worked since 2020. Dayne assists people in the areas of disability discrimination, human rights, and guardianship and administration. Prior to joining QAI, Dayne worked and volunteered at a range of organisations, including community legal centres, not-for-profits, and in commercial practice. Dayne has a passion for protecting the rights of vulnerable community members.

Steve Wettenhall

Steve Wettenhall

Steve joined Your Story Disability Legal Support in January 2021. He is originally from Victoria but has spent nearly all his professional working life in Queensland, mostly in Cairns.

Between 2014 and 2019, Steve worked for Legal Aid Queensland in Cairns and in private practice in his own firm in Cairns from the mid-1990s to 2006. He served two terms in the Queensland Parliament between 2006 and 2012 and was a policy adviser for a federal minister in 2012-13 and in the Office of the Premier of Queensland in 2019-20.