Q.: What is a Personal Directive?

A.:            A Personal Directive is a document that appoints one or more persons to make personal decisions for you if, at some point in the future, you lose the capacity to make those types of decisions for yourself. These types of decisions include: healthcare; accommodations; who you may live and associate with; participation in social educational and employment activities; or legal matters not relating to your estate; among other things, such as appointing a temporary guardian for minor children. There is no default in our legislation in Alberta that automatically appoints a person to make these types of decisions for you. If you do not have a Personal Directive, and you lose capacity (temporarily or permanently), someone will have to apply to the courts to be appointed as your Guardian. This is a slow and expensive process, which you should try to avoid at all costs.