Capacity Assessments by the Drafting Lawyer

• Author: M. Elena Hoffstein and Joanna Gorman
• Pages: 309-352



CapacityAssessmentsbythe

DraingLawyer

MElenaHostein*andJoannaGorman†

Althoughsupercially simpleproblemsinvolvedinlitigation concern-

ingtheestablish mentofadeceasedpersonswillagai nstaacksoflack

oftestamentarycapacityfraudandundueinuencearesecondtonone

indi cultyWhile the ChiefJust iceof Canadahasrecently said ina n

appealinvolving these questions that thelaw is wellestablished and

wellknownthefactremainsthatjudgmentsdealingwithlitigationof

thisk indabound inla nguagethat ishazyobscu reandext remelydif-

culttoreconcile

  

DrWrightsremarks underscore thed iculties facingjudges in cases

involving the determination of testamentar y capacity These dicul-

tiesderivefrom thefactth atwhileitmaybe fairlysimpleandst raight-

forwardtosetoutprinciplesoflawden ingtestamentar ycapacityitis

oendicultto applysuchprinciplestoa givensetof factsNeverthe-

lesst his task is expected to be accomplished every time a solicitor is

 PartnerofFaskenMart ineauDuMouli nLLPToronto

 AssociateofFaskenMar tineauDuMoul inLLPToronto

 RiachvFerri  DLRatSCR

 DrCecilAWrightWillsTestamentaryCapacitySuspiciousCircu mstances

BurdenofProofCanBarRevquotedwithapprovalbyJustice

Sopinka in VoutvHayDLRthSCC

MEHJG

askedtopreparea willforher clientespeciallyinsituations wherethe

facts are not clear or the circumstances are less t han ideal. The purpose

ofthispaperisto considerwhichstepsshouldbeta kenbyasolicitorto

minimizet helikel ihoodt hatthe will she prepareswi llbe litigated and

increase thelikelihoodthatthetestatorswisheswillbecarriedoutIpro-

posetofocusonthefollowing

 thetestfortestamentarycapacity

 theroleofmedicalexpertsandlaypersonsevidence

 howtosatisfythedutytosubstantiatetestamentarycapacityand

 consequences of breach of the duty to substantiate testamenta ry

ca pa c it y

  

   

A solicitorwho prepares a w ill for his client has the duty to support

the clients willA fu ndamental aspect of that duty is to ensure t hat

theclienthastherequisitetestamentarycapacitytoprovideinstructions

forthepreparation ofthe willTh isrequires notonly thatthe solicitor

knowthelegal requirements fortestamentary capacitybutalsothathe

satisfyhimself thatt heserequi rementshave beenmet Aspoi ntedout

byJarmaninhisclassictreatiseonwills

Fewof t he duties which devolveupon a sol icitormore i mperatively

callfortheexerciseofasounddiscriminat ingandwellinformedjudg-

mentthan that oftaki nginst ructions forwill sit isthebou nden

dutyofthesolicitortosatisfyhimselfthorough lyastotheproposed

testatorsvolitionandcapacityorinotherwordsthatt heinstru ment

expressestherealtesta mentaryintentionsofacapabletestatorpriorto

itsbeingexecuteddefactoasawi llatall

 PetersEstatevEwertBCJNoatparaSCPetersquotingMM

LitmanGBRobertson SolicitorsLiabilityforFailuret oSubstantiateTesta-

mentaryCapacity CanBarRevatSolicitors

 Thesolicitorprepar ingthewillforac lientmustalsoen surethatduri ngsuchprep-

arationthetest atorisnotthesubjectofu ndueinuencebyathi rdpartyWhile

theconceptofunduein uenceinthecontextoft hevalidityofwil lsiscertai nlyan

importantissuea nanalysisofth isconceptgoesbeyondth escopeofthispaper

 JarmanonWillsthedLondonSweetMax wellat

CapacityAssessmentsbytheD raingLawyer



Thougheach jurisdictiondraws itsdenitionof testamentary capacity

fromvaryingsourcestheyallreferbacktotheclassicstatementofwhat

constitutessucienttestamentarycapacitytomakeawillfromtheBrit-

ish case of BanksvGoodfellow.Inthiscasethecourtheldthatinorderto

makeavalidwillatestatormustbeofasoundand disposingmind

understandthenatureandextentoftheproper tyofwhichheisdispos-

ing and be able to comprehend and appreciate the nature of the claims of

otherswhomightbeexpectedtoparticipateinhi sbounty

Expandingon the statementin Banksv GoodfellowtheOnta rioSu-

premeCourtHighCourt DivisioninMurphyvLamphierMurphyex-

plained which elements were necessary i n determining that a pers on

hadasoundanddisposingmindforthepurposeofmakingawillI n

thiscasethetestatrixwaseightyyearsoldwhensheexecutedherwill

ayearbeforeshediedandatatimewhenshewasfrailandprogressively

impairedTherewere anumberof suspiciouscircum stancessurrou nd-

ingtheexecutionofthewillT hewillwasdraed

duringatemporaryabsencefromherhusband

withoutreferencetoorcommunicationwithp eoplewhomthetesta-

trixobviouslytrusted

whileshewasinthehandsandunderthecareoftwomarrieddaugh-

terswhoweredissatisedwithaformerwillandhadrecentlysought

tohaveitaltered

byanelderlypersonofnearlyeightyyearsold

bya solicitorwho couldnot beregarded asa nindependent adviser

andwhowasnotchosenbythetestatrixand

onthespurofthemomentwherethemethodoftestamentarydispos-

itiondevelopedsince apreviousw illni neyearsea rlierandcon sist-

entwit hevery subsequent will since was replaced bya method of

distributiondesiredbythetwodaughtersandotherdissidentsint he

fa m i ly

Aerexamin ingall ofthe evidencethecourt concludedthatt hetesta-

trixdidnothavetherequisitetestamentar ycapacitytomakeawill

 LRQBLJQBBanks].

 Ibid

 IbidatLJQB

 OLRHCadOLRCAMurphy].