Coulson Elder Law is now Dent-Coulson Elder Law
Learn More

Estate Planning and Elder Law Attorney | Dent Coulson Elder Law

Get Help Right Away

Call Today: 618-632-7000 or 217-330-5500

or Send us an email

  • Home
  • Our Services
    • Alzheimer’s Planning
    • Asset Preservation Planning
    • Estate Planning
    • Medicaid Eligibility
    • Special Needs Planning
    • Trust and Estate Administration
    • VA Benefits Planning
  • News & Videos
    • Video Series
      • Coronavirus Preparedness
      • Asset Preservation Planning
      • Common Estate Planning Mistakes
      • Dealing With Alzheimer’s
      • Financial Exploitation of Elders
      • Handling Difficult Conversations with Seniors
      • Married Couples and Medicaid
      • Medicaid Application Process
      • Medicaid Look-Back Rule and Transfer Penalties
      • Nursing Home Admission and Care
      • Veterans Pension Benefits
      • What You Can and Can’t Keep with Medicaid
    • Weekly Newsletter
    • The Elder Law Minute
  • Alzheimer’s Guide
  • Presentations
    • Health Care Power of Attorney
    • Free Workshops
  • Hear From Our Clients
    • Testimonials
    • Share Your Experience
  • About
    • About Us
    • Meet Our Staff
    • Partners & Resources
    • About Our Fees
    • COVID-19 Policies
    • Privacy Policy
  • Contact
    • Email Us
    • Find Our Offices
    • Refer a Friend

Can A Person With Alzheimer’s Still Sign Legal Documents?

In this Elder Law Minute, Wes Coulson, Southern Illinois Elder Law attorney, presents another topic covered in The Alzheimer’s Guide: Practical Advice for Families, Caregivers and Professionals and discusses the important subject of whether someone who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s can still legally and validly execute legal documents.

Can A Person With Alzheimer’s Still Sign Legal Documents?

Transcript:

Hi, I’m Wes Coulson from Dent-Coulson Elder Law, your St. Louis area and Metro East Elder Law attorneys. Today is another of our series of videos on Alzheimer’s planning. I will make my pitch for our Alzheimer’s Guide, a lot of useful, valuable information. Better yet, it’s free, so call us and get your copy.

Today I want to talk about the important subject of whether someone who has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s can still legally, validly execute legal documents.

Might surprise you to hear that the answer is, in an awful lot of cases, yes they still can. One thing to remember is that Alzheimer’s primarily primarily memory, at least until the late stages. So, you can have someone who has a poor memory but can still understand a conversation and make decisions based on what they’re listening to at the time. And, the test of capacity for signing legal documents is “did you understand them at the time that you signed?”

So, as long as that’s the case, even if that person couldn’t remember tomorrow that they had done so, or they were fine when they signed in the morning, but perhaps would not have been when they’ve sundowned later in the day, they’re still fine.

I hope people take this to heart because there are so many important legal documents that someone with Alzheimer’s really wants to have in place. So, don’t be scared off by the diagnosis. Give us a call and we can help determine that for you and in a lot more cases than you might think, still help you to get those legal documents in place. Thanks.

For more topics from The Alzheimer’s Guide, visit these articles:

  • Alzheimer’s and Nursing Home Care: If You’re Married, You Really Need to Plan
  • Alzheimer’s and Powers of Attorney for Property: Why the document’s specific language matters so much
  • Alzheimer’s and the Five-Year Look-Back Period: The time to plan is NOW!

“Your Trusted Advisor on the Elder Care Journey”

Dent-Coulson Elder Law is dedicated to providing families in the St. Louis area with their Elder Law needs. Our practice areas include Asset Preservation Planning, Veterans Benefits, Medicaid Eligibility, Alzheimer’s Planning, Special Needs Planning, Estate Planning and more. We understand the financial challenges you may face as you and your loved ones grow older. At Dent-Coulson Elder Law, our clients’ well-being is our number one priority. For immediate help, call (618)632-7000 or (314)567-9292 or Contact Us and we will get in touch as soon as possible.

Veterans Benefits O'Fallon ILFor Immediate Help

If you or a loved one needs immediate help with a planning matter or legal issue, please contact us, and we will get back to you promptly.

Office Hours
Monday - Friday: 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Call Us
618-632-7000
217-330-5500
314-567-9292

Connect with Us

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

Join us for a FREE Workshop

 

Free WorkshopsIf you have reached age 65, there's about a 45% chance that you will eventually need long-term care.

Join us for one of our highly informative and FREE workshops and find out how you can protect your family's hard-earned life savings.

Visit Free Workshops for more information.

Newsletter

Subscribe to our free weekly Newsletter and receive the latest news, updates and videos straight to your inbox!

Recent Posts

  • What an Illinois Medicaid Applicant Can and Cannot Keep: Motor Vehicles
  • What an Illinois Medicaid Applicant Can and Cannot Keep: Personal Residence
  • What an Illinois Medicaid Applicant Can and Cannot Keep: Household Goods & Personal Effects
  • What an Illinois Medicaid Applicant Can and Cannot Keep: Life Estates
  • What an Illinois Medicaid Applicant Can and Cannot Keep: Money & Other Assets Held in Trusts

More News & Videos

  • Alzheimer's Planning (85)
  • Asset Preservation Planning (150)
  • Coronavirus Preparedness Series (9)
  • Coulson Elder Law (11)
  • Elder Law Minute Video (385)
  • Estate Planning (132)
  • Health Care Planning/Medicare (79)
  • Medicaid Eligibility (141)
  • News & Videos (429)
  • Special Needs Planning (48)
  • Trust Administration (14)
  • Veterans Benefits (51)

774 Sunset Blvd Suite 200
O'Fallon, IL 62269
IL: (618) 632-7000
MO: (314) 567-9292

415 W. Virginia Ave.
Effingham, IL 62401
(217) 330-5500

Fax: (618) 632-7333
Send us an email

Front office building of Coulson Elder Law

Front office building of Coulson Elder Law

  • Directions to our office locations

774 Sunset Blvd Suite 200
O'Fallon, IL 62269
IL: (618) 632-7000
MO: (314) 567-9292

415 W. Virginia Ave.
Effingham, IL 62401
(217) 330-5500

Fax: (618) 632-7333
Send us an email

  • About Us
  • News and Videos
  • Weekly Newsletter
  • Brochures
  • Presentations
  • Hear From Our Clients
  • Partners & Resources
  • Legal Disclaimer

Copyright © 2023 · Wesley J. Coulson | Dent Coulson Elder Law, LLC