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access
a privilege which recognizes the right of and benefit to a child to spend time with an individual such as a parent who is not living with the childaccess order
a court order that provides for contact between a dependent and the person applying for contact, such as visits, phone calls, emails, mailaccount
the act of proving what one has done to meet one’s responsibilities administrator: the person appointed by the court to fill a role, e.g. the role of executor if none was named in the will of a deceased personAdult Capacity and Decision-making Act
the Nova Scotia law that allows a judge to appoint a representative for an adult who cannot make some or all of their own decisions.affidavit
a legal statement that is sworn or affirmed before a Commissioner of Oaths or a notary public affidavit of execution: a statement sworn by a witness about the signing of a documentassessor
a doctor or psychologist has the power to assess an adult’s capacity under the Adult Capacity and Decision-making Act. With training, an occupational therapist,nurse, social worker, or other qualified health care professional can assess capacity.
asset
A legal term for property. This can mean anything of value, such as a house, vehicle, or bank account.attorney
the person who receives the authority to act on another’s behalf. This person is not necessarily a lawyer.beneficiary
a person who receives property through a will as an inheritance. The plural is beneficiaries. Also called an heir.capacity
to be competent to perform a specific task, such as agreeing to a medical procedure. Also see testamentary capacity.capacity assessment
testing by a health care professional (assessor) to find out if a person has the ability to make important decisions on their own.capacity assessment report
a report by a health care professional (assessor) to explain whether an adult can make important decisions on their own. The report may also include information from other sources, like family and friends.cohabitation agreement
a written agreement between a couple who are living or plan to live together which sets out their rights and responsibilities to one anothercommon law partner
a person in an unregistered live-in relationship with a partner of the same or opposite sex. See common law relationship.common law relationship
an unregistered live-in relationship with a partner of the same or opposite sexcompetent
a legal term which means to be of sound mind and able to make reasonable decisions. Also see incompetent person.conciliation
a process in family court for negotiating a custody or access agreement between two parties with assistance from a conciliator talking to the parties separatelyconsent
Before engaging in sexual activity with someone, the law requires that you take reasonable steps to be sure the other person agrees freely and voluntarily.consent order
the name of the agreement reached between two parties when the issue is resolved using mediation or conciliationcontact time
the time a child spends with someone other than their parent or guardian because of a court order or agreement. This can be a grandparent, or anyone else who is close to the child. It is a term used in Nova Scotia’s Parenting and Support Act. See access, parenting time.cyberbullying
when someone uses electronic communication, like email, text messaging, or social media, to harm your health or well-beingdelegate
the person legally authorized to make decisions for another person. Also informally called a proxy.dependent
a person whom another person is under a legal obligation to support, such as a spouse or a child under age 19enduring power of attorney
a legal document which authorizes a person, called a delegate, or company to act on behalf of another person, even if the person becomes mentally incapacitated or incompetent. One type of power of attorney.enforcement order
a particular kind of court order which gives the police the power to enforce a contact orderexecutor
the person named in the will of a person who has died, responsible for seeing that everything is handled properlyguardian
a person who had applied to the court for guardianship of an adult under the old Incompetent Persons Act. Now considered to be a representative under the Adult Capacity and Decision-making Act. A guardian made all decisions for an adult under their care; a representative makes only the decisions the adult cannot make.identity theft
the illegal act of using personal information, for example personal identification numbers or Social Insurance Numbers, to steal from a personincompetent person
anyone who is legally incapable of managing their own affairs because of mental infirmity. This may be as a result of an accident, disease, or psychiatric illness.instruction directive
a person’s expression of wishes for health care measures they want taken for them if they become unable to express their wishes themselves, as laid out in a personal directiveinteraction
communicating with a child outside of parenting time or contact time. Includes phone calls, emails, or letters, sending gifts or cards, attending the child’s school activities or other activities, receiving copies of report cards or schoolphotos, video chats
