About the assistance measure

Helping a loved one deal with different parties can sometimes be difficult. You often have to go through the same hoops from one supplier of products and services to another in order to be authorized to communicate on your loved one's behalf.  

Thanks to the Assistance Measure, helping a loved one is no longer a challenge. 

The assistance measure allows a person experiencing a difficulty to be assisted free of charge by one or two people of their choice while keeping full control over their decisions. Once officially recognized by the Curateur public, the assistants to the person of full age can help the person: 

• take care of themselves;
• make decisions;
• exercise their rights;
• manage their assets (patrimony).

The assistant can then communicate with third parties (government services, financial institutions, businesses, service providers and professionals, such as physicians, pharmacists, social workers, lawyers, accountants, etc.) on behalf of the assisted person. Once these parties have checked that the assistance measure is valid, they can exchange information with the assistant about the person being assisted. 

In French:

Do you want to have one or two of your loved ones officially recognized as your assistants? You can do this online or by mail, either on your own or with help from a lawyer or a notary. 

Submit an application

Don’t have loved ones to designate as assistants, but would like to benefit from the assistance measure? Learn about the pilot project (in French only) launched by the Curateur public that allows select designated organizations to act as assistants.

The assistant can facilitate the communication and actions of the person being assisted in a wide range of day-to-day situations. Depending on the needs and wishes of the person being assisted, they may, for example, communicate with:

• health care professionals to:
  • obtain or provide information to facilitate the medical follow-up of the assisted person;
• product or service providers (cable, telephone, internet, electricity, etc.) to:
  • verify the details of an invoice to make sure there are no errors or to confirm whether a payment has been made;
  • find out about the best packages for the person being assisted;
  • discuss any difficulties experienced by the person being assisted;
• financial institutions and insurers to:
  • verify banking transactions;
  • inquire about the coverage provided under an insurance policy and the steps to take following a loss (water damage, fire, etc.) or an accident;
• government departments and agencies to:
  • verify the status of a request for benefits or compensation and ensure that there are no missing documents delaying the process.

One step only

To submit an application for the recognition of an assistant, the person seeking assistance has only one step to take. No need to contact each department or professional to authorize their assistant(s) to speak on their behalf.

An official recognition

The assistance measure allows the assistant's name to be entered in the Public register of assistants. Using this register, product and service providers can easily verify that the assistant has been recognized by the Curateur public, that the recognition is still valid and that the identity of the assisted person is confirmed.

A card attesting to the recognition granted is also provided to the assistant to facilitate communications with providers and demonstrate its official nature. It notably displays the first and last name of the person recognized as an assistant, the number of the assistance measure concerned as well as the information required to consult the register. 

A voluntary measure without court proceedings

The person files the application with the Curateur public on a voluntary basis and may stop it at any time. No legal proceedings are necessary. No medical or psychosocial assessment is required. The assistance measure allows the person being assisted to continue to exercise all their rights and to control their decisions and assets.

A reliable and safe measure

Several means are in place to prevent potential abuse and neglect, including criminal background checks on the proposed assistant.

Join the free webinar Tout savoir sur la mesure d’assistance (in French)

The Curateur public offers online information sessions specifically about the assistance measure. To participate, simply sign up for one of the scheduled sessions.

Sign up for the webinar