Why does dementia capability matter for the legal profession? As the Australian population ages and more people are living with dementia, legal professionals have a pivotal role in advising clients on planning for the future in a way that promotes autonomy and safeguards rights.
Building dementia capability in the legal profession
Having the knowledge and skills needed to work effectively with clients living with, or at risk for, dementia, are important professional attributes and an expanding area of specialist expertise.
Dementia capability is about the knowledge, attitudes, skills and abilities needed to work effectively with a person living with dementia.
"When people are referred for legal help after a dementia diagnosis, the conversation should be framed positively. This isn't about getting ready to lose capacity or preparing for the end of life. It's about understanding your legal rights, planning for the future and living well with dementia,” said webinar chair Prof Nola Ries, a legal and social science researcher in the UTS Faculty of Law.
"It's really around strengths-based approaches, focusing on what a person can do rather than what they can’t do, and how professionals can support their decision-making capacity."
Presented by UTS Law in collaboration with Dementia Australia, each webinar in this series features expert legal and health insights, alongside perspectives from people living with dementia or with experience supporting a person with dementia. Participants will gain a real-world understanding of the issues and take away practical strategies and resources to implement in their practice.
It's really around strengths-based approaches, focusing on what a person can do rather than what they can’t do, and how professionals can support their decision-making capacity.
“We want lawyers to come away from each webinar with practical strategies they can implement in their work the very next day,” Nola said.
The webinar series is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories and includes webinars on:
- Dementia: Facts and Foundations – delivered in September 2026
- Capacity and Supported Decision-Making - delivered in October 2026
- Planning Ahead for Healthcare Decision-Making - 12 November 2026
- Enduring Powers of Attorney and Financial Abuse - 2 December 2026
Additional webinars will be held in February and March 2027.
One participant, lawyer Julie Dalling, said the webinar was well-run and featured informative presenters specialising in dementia-related legal issues.
“For me, the most powerful presentation was by a person with dementia, talking about her user experiences with the system in general and lawyers in particular. It put a very human face on things and helped me better understand how to help clients in that situation.”
Register to attend the next webinar
Join the next webinar Planning Ahead for Healthcare Decision-Making on 1-2pm, Wednesday 12 November. Come along to advance:
- understanding of advance care planning as a voluntary, person-led process of communication and documentation;
- awareness of the barriers to uptake of advance care planning, and strategies lawyers can use to address them;
- skills in advising clients on choosing, preparing and appointing a substitute decision-maker for healthcare; and
- skills in advising on advance care directives that are legally valid and clinically useful.