Sandwiched Club

“Due to her old age, my mum appointed me (along with another relative) as a Court-Appointed Deputy (CAD). But what does that actually mean? What do we do? Let me share some basic pointers. For this story, my dad will be referred to as Mr. Butter and my mum as Mdm Wholemeal. I hope you find this insight helpful. Love, Mrs. Bacon“

Background on CAD – A Court-Appointed Deputy (CAD) is responsible for carrying out a court order focused on the well-being of a beneficiary. In this case, the beneficiary is Mr. Butter. Mr. Butter’s court order was initiated by his wife, Mdm Wholemeal, as she was concerned that she would be unable to make sound decisions for him, especially as she aged. She nominated two family members—Mrs. Bacon and another relative—for the court’s review.

(For more details, check out this page: https://www.judiciary.gov.sg/family/deputyship)

Expectations of CADs – Once the court approved the CADs, they became responsible for executing the court order. This included making decisions regarding Mr. Butter’s well-being and managing his financial assets.

It is important to note that CADs are governed by the Office of the Public Guardian (OPG) in Singapore. This government body maintains the register of court-appointed deputies and can investigate any violations regarding how deputies exercise their powers.

(See more here: https://www.msf.gov.sg/what-we-do/opg/about/the-office-of-the-public-guardian)

The OPG conducts regular audits, requiring CADs to maintain detailed bookkeeping records and submit annual reports.

The Work – Mrs. Bacon had never done bookkeeping before, so when the OPG contacted her for the annual audit to check if she had fulfilled the court order’s requirements, she was flustered. In summary, she had to:

• Contact banks to close existing accounts and set up new ones (without internet banking).
• Sell off assets.
• Collect all receipts from hospital visits, medical check-ups, and the home where Mr. Butter was staying.
• Reconcile all medical, financial, and government documents for the past 12 months.

Not being familiar with these documents caused a lot of confusion. It didn’t help that Mdm Wholemeal was unsure about many details. However, after four intense weeks of organizing, everything was finally submitted to the OPG.

A Never-Ending Responsibility – Mrs. Bacon couldn’t help but wonder how she managed to get it all done. The anxiety of dealing with a government body weighed heavily on her. She thought the process would end there.

But, as they say, with great power comes great responsibility—Mrs. Bacon soon realized this was just the tip of the iceberg.