Advance Personal Plan Checklist for the Northern Territory

Before You Start Drafting

• [ ] Confirm the maker has decision-making capacity (they understand what the APP is, who they are appointing, and the consequences of the powers being granted)
• [ ] Download the approved statutory form under the Advance Personal Planning Act 2013 from the PGT website
• [ ] Decide whether to create one combined APP or two split APPs (one financial, one medical/lifestyle) — splitting avoids bank compliance delays caused by sensitive medical information in the financial document
• [ ] Identify who will be appointed as decision-maker(s) for each domain (financial, healthcare, lifestyle)
• [ ] Choose at least one alternate decision-maker in case the primary is unable or unwilling to act
• [ ] Confirm no appointed decision-maker will also serve as the authorised witness

Drafting the Document

• [ ] Complete Section A (Personal Details) — mandatory for legal validity
• [ ] Complete Section B (Advance Care Statements) — values, lifestyle preferences, cultural end-of-life wishes. Non-binding but guides decision-makers.
• [ ] Complete Section C (Advance Consent Decisions) — legally binding medical treatment consents or refusals. Be specific about procedures, resuscitation, palliative care.
• [ ] Complete Section D (Decision-Maker Appointment) — name primary and alternate decision-makers, specify which domains each person covers, include conflict resolution if appointing joint decision-makers
• [ ] Review the document for completeness — a plan with only Sections A and E but no D appoints nobody to make substitute decisions

Signing and Witnessing

• [ ] Arrange an authorised witness: JP, legal practitioner, health practitioner, social worker, accountant, police officer, local government CEO, or NT school principal
• [ ] Confirm the witness is not appointed as a decision-maker or alternate in the plan
• [ ] The maker signs in the physical presence of the witness (video witnessing is not valid in the NT)
• [ ] If the maker cannot physically sign, arrange a representative signer: an adult who is not a decision-maker, signing in the maker's presence and at the maker's direction
• [ ] The witness completes Section E (Execution) — certifying the maker appears over 18, appears to understand the plan, and appears to be acting voluntarily
• [ ] Complete Section E — mandatory for legal validity

Registration

• [ ] PGT registration (free): Submit the original executed APP to the Public Guardian and Trustee in Darwin with the voluntary registration form. This makes the plan accessible to hospital registries and emergency clinicians.
• [ ] LTO registration ($171 approx.): If the decision-maker needs to use the APP for real-property dealings, submit the original to the Land Titles Office (Darwin or Alice Springs). Without this, the decision-maker cannot transact real estate. Documents must be on 80 gsm paper, printed double-sided.
• [ ] My Health Record (optional): Ask your GP to upload a reference to the APP or log in to myGov and add a note in the Advance Care Planning section.

Distribution and Notification

• [ ] Give a certified copy to each appointed decision-maker
• [ ] Tell each decision-maker they have been appointed and explain their responsibilities
• [ ] Provide certified copies to the maker's bank(s) — ideally before a crisis, so the bank can complete its compliance review in advance
• [ ] If using the split-APP strategy, provide only the financial APP to banks and the medical/lifestyle APP to healthcare providers
• [ ] Keep the original in a secure location (fireproof safe, safety deposit box, or with the PGT/LTO)
• [ ] Store a high-resolution digital scan on the decision-maker's phone and in cloud storage for quick reference

After Registration

• [ ] Confirm PGT registration is complete (the plan should be returned with its registration number)
• [ ] Confirm LTO registration is complete (check for any requisition notices — single-sided printing or wrong paper weight triggers rejection)
• [ ] Schedule a review — revisit the APP if circumstances change (new relationship, new decision-maker preferences, changed medical views, property acquisitions)
• [ ] To revoke or amend, confirm the maker still has capacity, follow the revocation steps, and notify the PGT and LTO of the change. Withdrawal of a registered power of attorney costs $30 at the LTO.

The Northern Territory Power of Attorney Kit includes printable versions of this checklist along with the signing checklist, bank acceptance protocol, and decision-maker worksheet for each step.

See more Northern Territory guides →