Capacity Law

Total 144 Posts

Statutory Guardianship of Property vs. a Continuing Power of Attorney for Property: They are not the same!

My June 2017 blog described that most seniors appoint a continuing power of attorney for property (CPOAP), partly to avoid having the Office of the Public Guardian and Trustee (OPG&T) assume the role of statutory guardian of property under the Substitute Decisions Act (SDA) or the Mental Health Act (MHA) should the person become incapacitated. The majority appoint a family member who they assume they can trust. I questioned at….

Statutory Guardianship of Property vs. a Continuing Power of Attorney for Property: They are not the same! Continue Reading »

Capacity Law, Disability, Elder Care, Elder Law, Fiduciary Professions, Geriatric Care Management, Guardianship, Power of Attorney, Powers Of Attorney and Guardianship Disputes

Buffy the Vampire (Slayer Rule)

Halloween is right around the corner, so today’s blog post is taking an ominous turn. Informal Reader Poll: What’s scarier? a) A horror movie that’s been remade three times b) Having to remake a client’s will for the third time Now to the fun stuff….. There’s a general principle in law and public policy that no advantage may be gained from one’s own wrongdoing. Some relevant examples are: The Slayer….

Buffy the Vampire (Slayer Rule) Continue Reading »

Capacity Law, Contested wills, Estate Litigation, Family Conflict

Undue Influence by “Unwitting Proxy”

Undue influence results in benefits to a beneficiary/donee which would not have occurred except for the undue influence imposed by the beneficiary/donee upon the testator/donor. Undue influence can be conceptualized into two distinct types: (1) “actual” undue influence and (2) “presumed” undue influence. Actual undue influence is concerned with coercive or deceptive behaviour. As explained by Lord Justice Lindley in the seminal case of Allcard v. Skinner,[i] actual undue influence….

Undue Influence by “Unwitting Proxy” Continue Reading »

Capacity Law, Elder Law, Guardianship, Power of Attorney, Powers Of Attorney and Guardianship Disputes, Resulting Trust, Testamentary Capacity, Trustee, Trustee Disputes, Undue influence

When More Help is Needed: Moving Seniors with Dementia to Care Facilities

Section 4(1) of the Health Care Consent Act (HCCA) sets out a two-part test for determining whether a person has the capacity to consent to medical treatment, to be admitted to a care facility, or to receive a personal assistive service/device: Is the person able to understand information relevant to making the decision; and Is the person able to appreciate the consequences of a decision or lack of a decision?….

When More Help is Needed: Moving Seniors with Dementia to Care Facilities Continue Reading »

Capacity Law, Elder Care, Elder Law, Geriatric Care Management, Guardianship, Power of Attorney

Court of Appeal Weighs In On Alcoholism and Testamentary Capacity

In the recent decision of Dujardin v. Dujardin, 2018 ONCA 597, the Court of Appeal for Ontario considered the validity of wills executed by a testator suffering from chronic alcoholism. Background: Jack and Noel Dujardin (“Jack” and “Noel”) were brothers who jointly owned a farm property that had been in their family since 1958. The brothers lived on the farm together and ran the farming business as a partnership. In….

Court of Appeal Weighs In On Alcoholism and Testamentary Capacity Continue Reading »

Capacity Law, Wills

Space Oddity: Why One of the Original Moonwalkers is Having to Sue his Children

This blog was written by Ronald Neal, student-at-law at de VRIES LITIGATION LLP. Even those with the “right stuff” are not immune to elder abuse.  Such is the apparent case with Buzz Aldrin, a retired astronaut, lunar module pilot, and engineer who is now finding himself in the midst of a legal battle that may yet bring as many challenges and difficulty to him in his twilight years as his….

Space Oddity: Why One of the Original Moonwalkers is Having to Sue his Children Continue Reading »

Capacity Law, Elder Care, Elder Law
Scroll to Top