The legal ramifications of Huntington's disease

Abstract

Huntington's disease (HD) has serious and disabling mental as well as physical effects, in particular symptoms of depression, impulsivity and paranoia. Such symptoms impact upon those who have HD, those with the potential to inherit it, and those who care for and are close to persons with HD. The symptoms can have many legal ramifications, including in relation to evolving impairments of capacity which can have an outcome in terms of involuntary status as mental health patients, testamentary capacity and the need for guardianship and administration orders. The evolving disease can have effects upon fitness for parenting, obligations to pay spousal and child maintenance, and the quantum of co..