Setting the Stage: Interviewing the Older Client

• Author: Hilary E. Laidlaw
• Pages: 29-45



SeingtheStage

INTERVIEWINGTHEOLDERCLIENT

HilaryELaidlawCS*

A INTRODUCTION

Advancedageisnotitsel fasignof incapacityAnypresumptiontothe

contrary would violate our basic human rights and our fundame ntal

rightof selfdeterminationAs individualswe areentitled tomakede-

cisions forourselves andlike the criminal presumption ofinnocence

are presumed capable of doing so unless proven otherwise Thi s has

importanti mplicationsina nestateplanningcontext particularly con-

sideringouragingdemographicAlthoughincapacityisnotanecessary

byproductofageitis neverthelesstrue thatthe olderclientmayhave

certainne edsandvulnerabil itieswhichdemanda nawarenessofthese

implications.

CapacityissaidtobetaskspecicOnemaybeperfectlycapablefor

certainpurposeswhilenotsoforothersNotsurprisinglythenthetest

forcapacityrelatesdirectlytothetaskathandUltimatelythetestisnot

amedicalonebutalegalonesincetheoutcomenecessarilyimpactsthe

fundamental dignityof theindividualAs suchthe courtis theultim-

atedecisionmakeron theissueofc apacityNotwithstandi ngthisboth

medicaland legalpractitioners playacrit icalrolein providingthe ne-

cessaryevidence toassistthecou rtinmaki ngitsdetermination While

 CounselTaxGroupatMcCarthyTétraultLLP in Toronto. The res earch assistance

ofStephanieYarmostudentatlawMcCarthyTétraultLLPisgratefullyacknow-

ledged.

HELCS

emphasizing this collaborationbetweenthe legal andmedica lprofes-

sionsthi spaperfocu seson thelegal aspectsof testamentary capacity

providingan overviewof theestablished testand itsvarious compon-

entpartsTh isoverviewthenserves tointroduceapracticald iscussion

aboutinterviewingchal lengesandsuggestedapproacheswhendealing

withanelderlyclient

B OVERVIEWOFTESTAMENTARYCAPACITY

 TestinBanksvGoodfellow

Aswithmostcomplexmaersitisusefu ltostartwithbasicpri nciples

The recognized test for testa mentary capacity remains as enunc iated

overacenturyagointheseminalcaseofBanksvGoodfellow. This case is

stillaleadingauthorityinCan adatheUSandtheCommonwealth

Inshortt heBanksvGo odfellowtestrequires thatatestator havea

sounddisposi ngmindMorespecicallythecriteria bywhich this is

gaugedareexpressedinthefollowingwords

Heought to becapable ofma kingh isWill with an understanding

ofthenat ureofthe businessin whichheis engagedarecollect ionof

thepropertyhemea nstodisposeoftheperson swhoaretheobjectof

his bountyand theman nerin which itis tobe distributed between

them.

Thistesthasbeenrepeatedlyandconsistentlyappliedsincethecase

wasrstdecidedAssetoutinthemorerecentdecisionofHallvBenne

Estate forexampletheOntarioCourtofAppealconrmedthatinorder

tohaveasoundanddispo singmindsucienttomakea validwillthe

testatormust

 understandthenaturea ndeectofawill

 recollectthenatu reandextentofherproperty

 understandtheextentofwhatsheisgiv ingunderthewill

 rememberthepersonsthatshemightbeexpectedtobenetunder

herwilland

 understandwhereapplicablethenatureoftheclaimsthatmaybe

madebypersonssheisexcludingfromt hewill

 LRQB

 IbidatquotingHarrisonvRowanWashCCatreferredtoinSloanv

MaxwellNJEqatPrerogCtNJ

 ORdCA