QLD Public Trustee
Self-Advocacy Resource Hub
What’s on this page?
Do you have someone who makes decisions about your money for you? This is called a a Financial Administrator.
This page has information and resources to help you advocate for yourself with the Public Trustee and your specific Financial Administrator.
You can use the quick links below to jump to a section of this page.
Our Public Trustee clinic
Overview
Our Public Trustee clinic is part of our Human Rights Law service and provides specialist legal support to people with disability in Queensland who have the Public Trustee as their Financial Administrator.
The work of our lawyers is guided by a human rights framework which aims to protect and promote the fundamental human rights of our clients.
What we do
Our solicitors may assist with:
- Advice and representation for administration applications and reviews for people with questioned or impaired decision-making capacity (including separate representative appointments)*
- Advice about Enduring Powers of Attorney, Powers of Attorney and Advance Health Directives, for the person making, reviewing or revoking the appointment)**
*Generally, advice on Administration is only provided where recent medical evidence is available (not more than 6 months old).
**QAI’s Human Rights Law service does not draft documents for these matters.
Who we assist
Our solicitors can assist people who have:
- An intellectual disability and/or cognitive impairments (including ABI)
- A dual diagnosis of intellectual disability/cognitive impairment plus mental illness
- A profound mental illness
- A profound physical disability
- Other vulnerabilities causing severe disadvantage including:
- Culturally and linguistically diverse people
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people
- People with low socio-economic status
- People living in closed environments
- People in regional or remote areas
The extent of assistance that will be provided is at the discretion of the service, based on circumstances such as the vulnerability and needs of the client, the merits of the case and available resources.
Human Rights Law may refuse assistance where:
- The matter gives rise to a conflict of interest
- The matter is so urgent that our solicitors cannot effectively provide legal assistance
- Our solicitors do not have the capacity or resources to take on the matter
- The individual refuses to accept a Human Rights Solicitor’s advice on an important matter, or the individual is not open and honest with our solicitor which makes it impossible for them to provide proper legal assistance
- There is another more appropriate organisation which can provide assistance to the individual, including Legal Aid Queensland
How to get help
Please contact us on 07 3844 4200 or 1300 130 582 or use this contact form to enquire about getting assistance from one of our lawyers.
You will be required to provide QAI with certain personal details which are necessary for us to deliver our services. All personal information is treated as strictly confidential.
Helpful resources
Information
Decision-making for adults with impaired capacity
Financial Independence Pathway (FIP) with the Public Trustee
Obligations of guardians and administrators fact sheet (pdf 188 KB)
List of financial literacy and resilience services
Forms
Form 10 – Application for administration/guardianship appointment or review
Form 11 – Application for a declaration about capacity
Register for an appointment with a QAI lawyer
If you register for an appointment with us, you will be required to provide QAI with certain personal details which are necessary for us to deliver our services. All personal information is treated as strictly confidential.
Short videos
These short videos provide information on how to get control of your money back from a Financial Administrator in Queensland.
Steps to financial control
This video explains the steps you can take to get control of your money back.
How to remove or change a financial administrator
This video explains the steps you can take to either remove, or change, your financial administrator.
Watch How to remove or change a financial administrator on YouTube
What to expect when you contact QAI
Unsure about contacting us, or feel better when you know what will happen ahead of time? This video explains what you can expect when you contact us for an appointment with one of our advocates.
Plain language fact sheets
These fact sheets provide information on how to get control of your money back from a Financial Administrator in Queensland.
Capacity
This fact sheet talks about what capacity means and how it impacts your ability to make your own decisions about money or personal matters.
Administration Orders
This fact sheet talks about what an Administration Order is, why they are made and what your administrator’s responsibilities are.
Talking to your administrator
This fact sheet talks about tips on how to talk with your administrator and have a good working relationship with them.
Steps to financial control
This fact sheet talks about what options you have and what steps you need to take to make a change to your administrator.
How to show QCAT you can manage your money
This fact sheet talks about what you can do to show QCAT you can manage your money to support your request for a change or removal of your administrator.
How to show QCAT you can manage your money fact sheet (pdf 426 KB)
How to show QCAT you can manage your money fact sheet (Word doc 52 KB)
Review of Administration and Guardianship Orders
This fact sheet talks about how you can apply for a review of your Administration Order to change or remove of your administrator.
Review of Administration and Guardianship Orders fact sheet (pdf 678 KB)
Review of Administration and Guardianship Orders fact sheet (Word doc 67 KB)
How we can help
This fact sheet talks about we can help if you want to change or remove of your administrator, and what to expect when you contact us.
Easy English fact sheets
These fact sheets are Easy English.
They are for you if
- a person makes money choices for you
- you want to change who it is
- you want to make your own money choices
What is QCAT?
This fact sheet talks about what the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal (QCAT) is and what they do.
A person makes choices for you. It is about your money. How to work with them
This fact sheet talks about how to work with the person who makes decisions about your money.
A person makes choices for you. It is about your money. You want a different person
This fact sheet talks about how to apply for a different person to make decisions about your money.
Make your own choices. It is about your money. You want to learn
This fact sheet talks about how you can learn to make your own choices about your money.
Show you can make choices. It is about your money
This fact sheet talks about how you can show you can make your own choices about your money.
Your money. A person makes choices for you. How we help
This fact sheet talks about how we can help you with who makes choices about your money.
Get in touch with us
If you have any questions or would like to find out more, contact us on (07) 3844 4200 or qai@qai.org.au or use the form below to send us a message.