The Retainer

• Author: Marshall A. Swadron
• Pages: 77-93



TheRetainer

MarshallASwadron*

Thispaperaddressestheretainerofthelawyerengagedtoactonbehalf

ofthe olderclient incapacityrelatedmaers Itconsidersthe dierent

means bywhich the lawyermay beengaged including appointments

undersectionoftheSubstituteDecisionsAct SDA It also consid-

ersconictsofinteresttheneedtoensu reindependenceandtheroleof

counselW hilethi spaperrelates tothe olderclientthe principlesdis -

cussedmaybeappliedmorebroadlyto otherclientsincapacityrelated

maers



Capacityrelatedmaersareconcernedwithwhetherapersoniscapable

ofmakingdecisionsorintheeventofincapacitywhoshouldbemaking

decisionsa ndhowt heyshouldbe madeIn Ontario suchproceedings

 OfSwadronAssociatesinTorontoTheauthorwouldliketothankMercedesPerez

alsoofSwadronAssociatesforherassistanceinpreparingthispaperportionsof

whichhavebeenadaptedfromtheauthorspriorpaperRepresentingtheIncapable

ClientinCapacityProceedingsdeliveredatthethAnnualEstatesandTrusts

SummitoftheLawSocietyofUpperCanadaheldinTorontoonNovember

LawyerswithSwadronAssociatesalsoactedinsomecapacityinthecasescitedat

footnotesand

 SOcSDA].

 Theprinciplesint hepaperdonotapplytoolderclientsinotherconte xtshowever

asageisnotadetermin antofcapacity

MAS

are conducted in the Superior Court of Justice under the SDA and before

theConsentandCapacityBoardundertheHealthCareConsentAct

HCCA

Where the rights and obligations of an incapable person are deter-

mined in othercontexts representation generally occurs througha liti-

gation guardian designated representative or similar devices The

signicance ofthe role ofcounsel in capacityrelatedmaersi sthat the

lawyerclientrelationsh ipisu nmediatedalthough itmayst illbe neces-

sarytodealwithothersinre spectofthenancialaspect softheretainer

Whenconsidering thescopeoft heretainerabrightlineshouldbe

drawnbetweencapacityrelatedmaersandmaersaectingtheclients

propertyAlawyermustbe satisedastoa clientscapacitytomanage

property beforeaccepting a retainerto act inrespec tof thatpropert y

Should both types of issues present t hemselves in the same retainer

theproper tyrelatedissues mustbe deferredunt ilthe capacityrelated

issuesareresolvedsubjecttointerimordersofthecourt

 

This sectionof thepapercon sidersdierentmeans bywhich alawyer

maybeengagedi ncludingengagementbythe clientbya guardian or

aorneyor byothers Italso considersappointments ofcounsel under

sectionoftheSDA andsectionoftheHCCA.

It should be made clear at the outset of this section that regardless

ofthe manner inwh icha lawyeris retained orwhoisresponsible for

thenancia laspectsofthere taineroreveninsomecaseswhois pay-

ingthefee sthelawyersonlyclient istheolderpersonIn thisregard

itmaerslile whohasbroughtt helawyerto thedancea slongast he

lawyerleaveswiththerightpartner

 

Directengagementofa lawyerbytheolderclientis consistentwiththe

personalautonomyanddignityoftheclientThereisnocasethatestab-

lishest hecapacity thresholdrequired toreta ina lawyerin acapacity

relatedproceedingCourtshaveheldhoweverthatthetestsforcapacity

 HealthCareConsentActSOcHCCASchedA

 RulesofCivilProcedureRRORegr

 ImmigrationAppealDivisionRulesSORsundertheImmigrationand

RefugeeProtectionActSCc

 SeeforexampletheAbsentees ActR SOcA