A representation agreement is a legal document that allows you to choose someone to help you make decisions or make decisions for you if you become incapable. This person is known as a representative. There are two different types of representation agreements; each allows your representative to make certain decisions in different areas, including personal and health care, finances, and legal matters.
Do I need a representation agreement? Which one?
A representation agreement is only one of the many different personal planning tools available in BC. If a patron is seeking more information about what type of personal planning document would best suit their situation, the following online resources provide more information about the options available:
- Choose your financial and legal planning tools
- Types of Planning – An Overview
- Start your planning here
Standard representation agreement
The standard representation agreement, sometimes known as a RA7, has a lower threshold for capacity and is designed to be used by people with cognitive difficulties. Even if a person cannot manage their own healthcare matters, routine finances, or make a contract, they can enter into this agreement. This type of representation agreement allows the representative to make health care decisions, personal care decisions, obtain legal services, and conduct routine financial matters.
There are resources available to help someone create a standard representation agreement:
- Prepare a standard representation agreement: this page provides additional helpful information and walks you through the steps of creating the agreement, including linking to the form.
- Representation Agreement Forms: scroll down to the Section 7 Representation Agreement (RA7) Forms heading to download the forms. Nidus has made templates for a few different circumstances, which include additional information to help complete the form.
- Forms: the standard blank form is also available on the BC government website.
Enhanced representation agreement
An enhanced representation agreement is used by people who want to plan for their future care while they are able to understand in case they become incapacitated in the future. This means that the person making it must be considered fully capable and understand the nature and consequence of the agreement. An enhanced representation agreement includes the ability to make health and personal care decisions beyond what the standard agreement allows, including being able to refuse life-supporting treatment. It remains in effect after the person who made the agreement becomes incapacitated.
There are resources available to help someone create an enhanced representation agreement:
- Preparing an enhanced representation agreement: this page provides additional helpful information and walks you through the steps of creating the agreement, including linking to the form.
- Representation Agreement Forms: scroll down to the Section 9 Representation Agreement (RA9) Forms heading to download the form. The form includes additional information to help complete the form.
- Form: a blank form is also available on the BC government website.
Once a representation agreement is completed, it can be registered with the Nidus Registry. This Registry can store both information about the representation agreement and a copy of the agreement itself, with the aim that it is easier to locate agreements when they are needed. Registering the representation agreement is not required; check out their website to learn more!
To find more resources to help with questions about personal planning, check out our latest reference guide Wills and Personal Planning Resources. This guide brings together resources to help you and your patrons learn more about making wills and personal planning documents such as representation agreements and power of attorney. The guide comes with a PDF that can be downloaded and kept at the desk for easy reference in the moment. Feel free to bookmark!
If you have a reference question that you’d like help with, please feel free to get in touch with Courthouse Libraries BC reference librarians! We can be contacted on our reference email, over the phone, or in-person at your nearest library branch.
Email: librarian@courthouselibrary.ca
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