wills age
Protecting myself against my future self
<p>There is always a grey zone between being 100% mentally operational and the beginning of, say, age-related dementia. </p>

<p>Before a physician can declare that someone is not able to make clear, rational decisions anymore, there is always a more subtle decline that affects e.g. one's ability to manage money and properties, and often the decision to place someone's finances under supervision/trusteeship requires their mental state to be quite degraded. Before that happens, a senior is sometimes susceptible to suggestion by unscrupulous people and/or family members, or may simply make gross mistakes. </p>

<p>Is there any process, in any country, through which one can make a decision that they cannot undo later? </p>

<p>A (theoretical!) example: if I decided to disinherit my child because they've been really, <em>really</em> awful, is there any way to protect myself from, say, them convincing me to undo my decision when I'm older and emotionally more vulnerable (especially if there's nobody else to control whether I am being influenced by other people)? </p>

<p>Another example with an imaginary horrible heir: could I specify, while I'm mentally OK, that I want to spend my money going into private retirement home XXX rather than public retirement home YYY, even if it is more pricey and my child tries to "force me" to go to YYY because they would inherit more money this way?</p>

<p>I'm curious to know if there is such a thing as a "non-modifiable will".</p>

<p>In general, no, if you make a will then you can revoke that will while ever you are still legally competent. </p>

<p>Also, in general, this is a good thing. For your first example, you are ruling out all possibility of redemption - people change: a person who is a selfish a*$%^#@e in their 20s may be a kind, caring, dutiful and loving person in their 40s. For your second example, what if XXX gets demolished? Or you move cities?</p>

<p>If you are truly serious, you can transfer all your assets to a trust, put your instructions in the trust deed and then nominate someone you really, really, really trust to be the trustee. This would prevent <em>you</em> modifying the instructions but you are then relying on the trustee interpreting them.</p>
