April 16, 2026

There have been several amendments to the Public Trustee Act, Adult Guardianship and Trusteeship Act, and associated regulations that came into effect on April 1, 2026. While many amendments were made across the legislation, the items featured below encompass changes that may be relevant to lawyers who practice in these areas:

• New Notice Requirement to the Public Trustee; 
• Notice to Proceed under the Limitations Act; 
• New Specific Decision-Making authority for the Public Trustee to make financial decisions that support placement; and, 
• Ability to apply for a desk review of a co-decision-making, guardianship, or trusteeship order under the Adult Guardianship and Trusteeship Act. 

View the full notice for a summary of amendments under each area. 

If you have any questions, please contact the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee.  

Announcements from Court of King's Bench

Expansion of Surrogate Digital Service to Include Self-Represented Applicants

Effective April 15, 2026, self-represented applicants applying without a lawyer will now be able to use the Surrogate Digital Service (SDS) to apply online for a grant to administer an estate.

For this release, self-represented applicants must be residents of Alberta, one of the applicants listed on the application, and must log in using their verified Alberta.ca account.

This is the first Justice Digital Service to allow a person applying without a lawyer to use the digital service. A pilot release that started in December of 2025 enabled some persons applying without a lawyer to use the service.

Lawyers are still required to submit all applications that SDS can accept through the online service.

Please refer to the SDS website to find a full list of what SDS can and cannot accept.

Civil Applications Judge Positions Deadline Extended to May 4  

The Court of King’s Bench and Alberta Justice welcome the interest of qualified lawyers who want to be considered for appointment as a full-time Civil Applications Judge. Applications are being sought for a full-time position in Edmonton.  

The Application form is available on the Government of Alberta website.  

Family Applications Judge Positions Deadline Extended to May 4  

The Court of King’s Bench and Alberta Justice welcome the interest of qualified lawyers who want to be considered for appointment as a full-time Family Applications Judge. Applications are being sought for two full-time positions in Edmonton and two full-time positions in Calgary.  

The Application form is available on the Government of Alberta website.

STAY CONNECTED