Some people with disability may require a degree of substitute decision making if they are unable to make some or all of their decisions. 

Substitute decision making applies when a person is officially authorized by law to make certain decisions on behalf of a person. The area of substitute decision making is a fairly complex one but it is important to understand that there is no requirement for a person with disability to have a legally appointed decision maker.  In fact, everyone who is 18 or over is presumed, by law, to have the capacity to make decisions for themselves, regardless of whether they have a disability.

Part two of the document, Planning for Now, Tomorrow and the Future, includes an easy to understand overview of the personal and legal issues involved in planning and decision making from the Queensland perspective.

Read more about Decision Making and Authority in self-direction.