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Just because someone is grieving doesn't mean that they don't still have all their faculties. It makes no sense to automatically presume that they have lost the ability to think and act for themselves purely because they are grieving over anything or the loss of a loved one, and indeed maybe the loss of a family pet.

Why anyone would be rude enough to make the presumption that another person is unable to look after their own affairs, based purely on the fact that this person is grieving, simply amazes me.

To make this type of presumption would leave the door open to wide spread abuse. Any child of a parent for example who was grieving over the loss of their partner could in theory, use the surviving parents grieving as a reason to take over and control whatever finances that parent had, and in consequence could in reality steal from that parent.

This to my mind would be totally wrong. I have personally seen cases when people have been put under curatorship, and then a solicitor takes control of their financial responsibilities, because some family member has decided that they have not got all their faculties, and has managed to get a Doctor to back them up while a parent is grieving.

On occasions, it can be just that a relative is frightened that they might lose out on part of a forthcoming inheritance, if the spending of that inheritance is not controlled, in order to prevent the parent who has rightfully inherited in the first place from a lost husband or wife from spending the family jewels' so as to speak.

I have seen situations when a surviving parent has been put under curatorship while grieving, but found it very hard to get the curatorship removed later when they had recovered from the shock of losing a loved one. The children involved where only interesting in making sure that as little as possible was spent by their mother, not to protect her, but to ensure that they got as much as possible when she passed on. It is called greed in my book, and this particular Lady did have all her faculties, and in my opinion was entitled to use the things and whatever funds she had been left in her husbands will, as and when she saw fit!

When I was working as a care assistant I saw a number of cases like the one I have described above, and I have helped people to get back what was rightfully theirs. At no time did I profit in any way manner or form for doing this.

I conclude that grief is not a reason to take away anyone's personal right to freedom of choice!

Learn more about this author, Linda Corby.
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