Report concerns about a vulnerable adult's financial and legal affairs
It is appropriate to refer a person over the age of 19 to the Public Guardian and Trustee of British Columbia (PGT) if there is:
- Concern about the adult's mental capacity to manage financial and legal affairs;
- A specific, urgent or immediate need; and
- No other suitable person, such as a family member or friend, has the authority or is willing and able to act on the adult's behalf.
Information you provide is for the purpose of assessing and investigating a report of an abused or neglected adult. The identity of a person making such a report is protected from disclosure by law.
Information is collected under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) and other applicable legislation. If you have any questions about the collection, use or disclosure of information, contact the PGT's Information and Privacy Officer at 604-660-4444 or
mail@trustee.bc.ca.
Download and complete this REFERRAL FORM and email it to the PGT at
ais-pds@trustee.bc.ca, or mail it to 700 – 808 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 3L3.
Request consent for care facility admission
This form is for admissions managers to seek consent from the Public Guardian and Trustee (PGT), as substitute decision maker, for an adult to be admitted to a care facility or remain in a facility.
Under Part 3 of the Health Care (Consent) and Care Facility (Admission) Act, informed consent must be obtained before an adult is admitted to a residential care facility. In cases where the adult has been assessed as incapable of providing informed consent, a substitute decision maker is required. For more information, please see Practice Guidelines for Seeking Consent to Care Facility Admission and B.C. Government Consent to Care Facility Admission.
The adult must be aged 19 or over and determined to be incapable of making the decision by either an Incapability Assessment Report for Care Facility Admission Decisions, which must be submitted to the PGT, OR a court order that appoints the PGT as the adult’s Committee of Person.
Information you provide is for the purpose of making a decision about admission to, or continued residence in, a care facility for an adult who is not able to consent themselves.
Information is collected under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) and other applicable legislation. If you have any questions about the collection, use or disclosure of information, contact the PGT's Information and Privacy Officer at 604-660-4444 or
mail@trustee.bc.ca.
Download and complete this REFERRAL FORM and email it to the PGT at
ais-pds@trustee.bc.ca, or mail it to 700 – 808 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 3L3.
Refer a deceased person's estate to the PGT
When a person dies, the named executor, beneficiaries or heirs have the primary right to administer their estate. A referral should be made to the Public Guardian and Trustee (PGT) when these people are not willing or able to take on these responsibilities, or if they cannot be identified or contacted.
We will confirm receipt of the referral and complete an assessment to determine whether or not we will take on the administration of the estate. We will let you know once a decision has been made.
The Coroners Service, hospitals, funeral homes, health authorities, the police and other service providers can submit this form directly to the PGT. Before submitting this form, please ensure that you have spoken to the executors, beneficiaries or heirs, if known. Where there are multiple service providers involved with a deceased, please ensure you are the appropriate service provider to send the referral and make note within the referral of any other service providers involved.
If necessary for our assessment, we will make inquiries to gather information about:
- The assets in the estate
- If there is a will
- Contact information for executors, beneficiaries or heirs to inquire if they are willing to administer the estate
- Funeral preference details
If we gather sufficient information to determine that the PGT will not be administering the estate, we will stop further inquiries. If the PGT decides not to administer the estate and arrangements for the deceased are still required, the PGT may make a referral to the Ministry of Social Development and Poverty Reduction's (MSDPR) Funeral Assistance program.
If you are not sure if a referral to the PGT is appropriate given the situation, you can contact the PGT's Estate and Personal Trust Services division at 604-660-4444 or estates@trustee.bc.ca.
Information you provide is for the purpose of assessing whether the PGT will administer an estate.
Information is collected under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) and other applicable legislation. If you have any questions about the collection, use or disclosure of information, contact the PGT's Information and Privacy Officer at 604-660-4444 or
mail@trustee.bc.ca.
Download and complete this REFERRAL FORM and email it to the PGT at
estates@trustee.bc.ca, or mail it to 700 – 808 West Hastings Street, Vancouver, BC V6C 3L3.
Referrals to the PGT when an adoption agency is sole guardian
This form is for adoption agencies to notify the Public Guardian and Trustee (PGT) about the adoption process.
Under Section 24 of the Adoption Act, when a child’s birth parent(s) or other guardian(s) consent to the adoption of the child by requesting the Director of Adoptions at the Ministry of Children and Family Development or an Administrator of an adoption agency place the child for adoption, the Director or the Administrator becomes guardian of the child (until an Adoption Order is granted) and the PGT becomes property guardian. Notice to the PGT is required in order to start this appointment.
Information is collected under the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIPPA) and other applicable legislation. If you have any questions about the collection, use or disclosure of information, contact the PGT's Information and Privacy Officer at 604-660-4444 or
mail@trustee.bc.ca.
Download and complete the appropriate section of this
REFERRAL FORM at each stage of the adoption process. Send the form at each stage to the PGT at
CYS@trustee.bc.ca, or mail it to 700 – 808 West Hastings Street Vancouver, BC V6C 3L3, attention:
Child and Youth Services.
