Methods of Attacking a Capacity Assessment

• Author: Anita Szigeti and Archie Rabinowitz
• Pages: 353-363



MethodsofAackingaCapacity

Assessment

Anita Szigeti*andArchieRabinowitzCS†

 

Althoughlegalsta ndardsforcapacityfor dierentpurposes managing

propertymakingdecisionsregardingpersonalcaregiingormakinga

willvarytheysharecharacteristicsthatmakeitpossibletoapplysimilar

strategiesto underminecapacityasses smentsEachof thesefour types

ofcapacityassessmentrequiresanassessorwhetherasolicitororaper-

sonprescribedbyregulationstofollowstrictproceduralguidelinesThe

failuretofollowsuchg uidelinesmayresultin theinadmissibilit yofthe

assessmentincourtFurtheralmosteverycapacitystandardrequiresthe

grantortounderstandt hepersonalor nancialnature ofhisparticu lar

circumstancesandtoappreciatethelegalconsequencesofassigninghis 

respectiveperson alorpropert yrightsto someoneelse Asaresultone

canscr utinizet hedepthof thequestions posedto theperson beingas-

sessedandwhetherornottheanswersgivenwereproperlyprobed

Suchinquiryisespeciallyimportantwithrespecttocapacityassess-

ments under the Substitute Decisions Act SDAWh ile issues of testa-

mentary capacityand capacity tomake gis areus uallyretrosp ective

 OfHiltzSzigetiLLP

 OfFraserMilnerCa sgrainLLPTheauthorsgratefullyacknowledget heassistance

ofLidiyaNychykstudentatlawatFraserMilnerCasg rainLLPinthepreparation

of this paper.

 SubstituteDecisionsActSOcSDA].