The Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee (OPGT) functions in accordance with the Public Guardian and Trustee Act. Although part of the Ministry of the Attorney General, the OPGT operates as a corporation sole. The office was established 90 years ago to fulfil the government’s unique parens patriae role (Latin for: “parent of the country”) of protecting those persons who cannot protect themselves where there is no one else available, suitable, and/or willing to provide such protections.  

As such, the mandate of the OPGT is extremely broad, and includes:

• Managing the property and personal care of incapable adults
• Acting as the litigation guardian or the legal representative for incapable persons involved in litigation
• Making treatment decisions on behalf of incapable individuals
• Administering estates where there is no other estate trustee
• Plays a role in safeguarding charitable property
• Performing the functions of the Accountant of the Superior Court
• Administering property that escheats to the Crown.

The OPGT Legal Services Branch has approximately 30 lawyers directly involved in fulfilling these mandates. 

Unlike most other government agencies, the OPGT often acts on behalf of individuals, not necessarily government bodies. As such, there is direct and meaningful client contact. Our office provides a unique opportunity to represent individual persons within the context of a government office.