The Practical Framework-Responding to Common Legal and Medical Issues of the Older Client

• Author: Dr. Kenneth I. Shulman
• Pages: 25-28



ThePracticalFrameworkResponding

to Common Legal and Medical Issues

of the Older Client

DrKennethIShulmanFRCPC*

Int hiss ectionwe refer toth reerec entreview papersoutli ning issues

relatedtothe assessmentof testamentary capacityand vulnerability to

undueinuence from contemporaneousand retrospec tiveviewpoi nts

Themedical expertscontributionto thelegalq uestionoftesta mentary

capacityandv ulnerability tounduein uenceisrelated totheir under-

standing of neurologic and psychiatric disorders that aect brain and

mentalfunct ionswhich intu rnaect capacityThemedicalor psycho-

logicalexperthasaresponsibilitytohelpthecourtunderstandthepres-

enceorabsence ofthes econditionsa ndthe specicwayi nwhich they

aectcapacityasdenedin thesepapersA lthoughthemedica lexpert

isbeing askedto respondto thesa mequestion asthat ofthe judgelet

therebe nodoubtthatt henal arbiterist hecourt Theexpert medical

opinionisonlyoneofanumberofimportantinputsthatthecourtmust

considerincomingtoitsnal decisionForexampletheexpertopinion

maybe only one ofa number of expert opinions that the court has to

adjudicateInadditionto theexper topinions thejudge musttake into

accountlegal precedenta ndother legal principlesin coming to an al

decisionAlsolayobservations basedonrsthandcontact andexperi-

encewiththetestatorortestatrixwillalsofactorintothejudgesdecision

Consequentlymedicalopinionmustbeviewedasonlyoneofanumber

of factorst hat leadto a  nal determination Thi s perspective defuses

 ProfessorDepartmentofPsyc hiatrySunnybrookHealt hSciencesCentr eUniver-

sityofToronto