Skip to main content

Re: HELP with upcoming VCAT hearing

Thanks for the update @Furrballz.

It sounds like a long process. It must be frustrating trying to help your brother with his finances, while he is resisting. Wishing you all the best with the hearing today. Fingers crossed your brother will be in a better position to look after his living expenses and hopefully have better luck staying in a share house.

Sorry to hear that everything that’s happening has been affecting things at home as well. It sounds like you’ve been giving a lot to your brother and other family members and it hasn’t left you with much time for you. There’s a great discussion here about self-care for busy people that you might find interesting.

Feeling unsure as to whether you can cope with the extra demands of your masters right now could be a sign that you need more time to refresh after what’s been happening over the last few months. On the other hand, doing something that is important or inspiring for you can sometimes offer some respite from everything else. Have you been able to weigh up the pros and cons of going back to study right now?

All the best for today,

Acacia

Re: HELP with upcoming VCAT hearing

Thanks Acacia, this is exhausting...
Dad and I took the brother to the court...

We got there early and brother eventually found the legal aid person that was there to represent him

Dad was pulled aside by the lawyer first up and asked if he would be brothers administrator... he said no, and brother got loud and almost aggressive
We signed in around 1.50pm to say we were all here and we were called in just after 2pm
The social worker from the hospital, C and Brothers case worker T, put forward their reasoning for the administration order and at first it looked like it had no hope in hell of being granted as it has to be shown that the need is immediate (they were just looking at the inheritance at first, which is still in probate and the house and shares still need to be sold
Then brother was contesting the medical diagnosis and carrying on about it, saying he only has depression and Dad caused all the carry on about King Tutt, not him.
One of the criteria of granting administration is that there is a disability, and with him contesting his condition, there would be a delay in the decision, with the lawyer needing to be organising a new medical diagnosis as brother contests he just has depression and not schitzophrenia
So we had a 5 min break for brother to talk with his lawyer
We came back, and C and T mentioned that they beleive the situation isnt just about gmas inheritance, but also about the problems brother has had and continues to have with managing his money day to day and brought up how dad and I have been helping support him with both food and money, because he hasnt been able to budget or work out anything, and the judge decided she wanted to hear directly from me and dad
This is when brother almost totally lost it, was crying and getting very upset with what Dad and I had to say and the lawyer that was representing him showed herself to be totally useless (which was great for us)
Brother kept on butting in and telling us all how Dad was the one that started this King Tutt gene issue that he has (he is a direct descendant of King Tutt.. proved by DNA according to brother and those that have told him at the pub, and in some secret society he is supposed to be in with Eddie Macguire??)
He went on and on about how he needs to spend substantial amounts of money on advertising to get his business going and he wants to do that so he can work and earn money
We gave our evidence of how brother misspends his money when he has it, showed how he withdrew money hand over fist at the pokies etc... how he still owes his old landlord $3,500 and yet brother said he wouldnt owe more than $1,500 ... which the judge picked up immeadiately as an admission of owing money
Dad mentioned how much he has been paying over the last years, rent at some places, van insurance, repairs, plumbers licence and indemnity insurance... with another $1,100 due in a few weeks to keep brother registered
Not to mention the $100 odd a week he gives him for petrol etc
So another 5min break was called, and the outcome after this was that Dad was asked again, this time by the judge, if he would be the administrator with the proviso that any of us present today, can call an immeadiate emergency revision so a new administrator can be called if needed
So against all advice, (mine included) Dad went with the gut feeling of being his Dad and chose to give it a go
At least Dad and I can go forward with finalising Brothers and my inheritance stuff now
But I am still concerned for Dad... and brother was putting the pressure on already on the way back from the court and at Dads

In answer to your question Acacia, I dont know if I can move forward with study... I still feel very paralysed and overwhelmed with what I am needing to do... I just dont know *sigh*