Portuguese law allows individuals to plan ahead for situations in which they may no longer be able to manage their personal affairs independently through the creation of a Mandate for Future Support.
This legal mechanism enables any adult to appoint, in advance, a trusted person to assist or represent them in relation to personal, financial, or administrative matters if their capacity to make decisions is later reduced.
The mandate may define the specific rights involved, the scope of the appointed person’s authority, and the conditions under which the powers granted may be exercised. As long as the person who created the mandate retains decision-making capacity, it may be freely revoked.
If judicial support measures become necessary in the future, the court must take the existing mandate into consideration when determining the appropriate protection framework and when appointing a support person.
By allowing individuals to express their wishes in advance, the Mandate for Future Support is an important legal instrument for protecting personal autonomy, ensuring greater legal certainty, and safeguarding individual decisions for the future.
