Financial elder abuse cases can result in thousands of dollars of attorney time and costs. Financial crimes and exploitation can involve the illegal or improper use of a senior citizen's funds, property or assets, as well as fraud or identity theft perpetrated against older adults. Copyright © 2020, Thomson Reuters. By continuing to use this site you consent to the use of cookies on your device as described in our cookie policy unless you have disabled them.

That way the drain on the elder’s remaining assets is lessened while aligning the lawyer’s interests with the client’s.Contact a financial elder abuse attorney the moment you suspect abuse. Elder financial abuse occurs when individuals or entities: Take the real or personal property of an elder with the intent to defraud or use that property for wrongful purposes. Elder Abuse and Elder Financial Exploitation Statutes. Abusers may believe they are justified in this behavior, even though the older person has not agreed to it, because they are “family.” It may begin innocently when an older person agrees to help with finances for a brief period of need, but then escalates as time passes.In the case of strangers, this could be outright theft, or a business situation in which an older person is taken advantage of, perhaps in agreeing to home renovations or contracting work or scams through the internet. Often the best solution is to retain a contingent fee elder abuse lawyer, or negotiate a hybrid attorney fee structure, where the lawyer agrees to take a reduced hourly fee coupled with a smaller contingency or success fee.
Action on Elder Abuse helpline Telephone: 0808 808 8141 Find out about call charges. – then a court case may be required.Court cases tend to take much longer than negotiated settlements, but if the wrongdoer won’t cooperate you may have no choice but to go to court. Each state’s reporting laws can be found in the center column.

Richard Roberts Gedye & Sons. Generally, we see financial elder abuse treated only as a civil matter, which means there is no jail time or criminal record for the abuser. After a review of the evidence, Wallin & Klarich had … If you or a loved one have been accused of a crime, this is the time to contact us.
Due to that familial relationship, it’s only natural that victims are concerned about what will happen to the abuser if an elder financial abuse attorney is hired.Due to the potential availability of treble damages, punitive damages, attorney’s fees and costs, the vast majority of financial elder abuse cases settle out of court, usually within 12 months. This means that your penalty is largely dependent on the value of the money, property, or services that were stolen.

Financial elder abuse often involves family members who think they are entitled to an elder’s assets. A felony elder abuse conviction is punishable by 2, 3, or 4 years in county jail. Elder financial abusers can be family members, or people with whom the older person has had a relationship. Under A financial elder abuse case goes to court when the accused refuses to return assets, such as money, stolen from an elder. Court also costs more. Sometimes financial elder abusers are people who have worked for the older person in some capacity, such as a home health aid or domestic worker.We are Working to End Elder Financial Abuse and ExploitationFrom research and policy, to direct services, the team at elderabuse.org is focused on one thing: ending elder abuse.Financial exploitation can be particularly devastating for a number of reasons.First, money is an important tool in ensuring quality of life as we age – in the form of food, shelter, medical care and many other necessities and pleasures. Tustin, CA 92780 Some forms of elder financial exploitation are simple and straightforward such as forging a signature on an older person’s check, or using their ATM card to take their cash. I hired Stephen Klarich from the law firm of Wallin and Klarich to work on his appeal. Court cases can take years, although we routinely wrap cases in less than one year. The court has the following options at time of sentencing:When you are placed on probation the court will impose specific terms of probation that apply to the crime for which you were convicted. Close to home: Spotting elder abuse. Los Angeles | Long Beach | Glendale | Santa Clarita | Lancaster | Palmdale | Pomona | Torrance | Pasadena | West Covina | Carson | Santa Monica | Whittier | Lakewood | Redondo Beach | Arcadia | Diamond Bar | Glendora | Cerritos | La Mirada | Rancho Palos Verdes | Culver City | Manhattan Beach | Claremont | Beverly Hills | San Dimas | Walnut | Calabasas | Hermosa Beach | El Segundo | Palos Verdes Estates | Malibu It is important to understand that court processes are an important weapon, a tool that can be used to bring an uncooperative wrongdoer to answer for their deeds.If you have any questions about the process, please email We don’t typically see victims filing criminal charges.

What’s more, the longer you wait to pursue claims, the less likely there will be anything to recover from the abuse.We recommend finding an experienced financial elder abuse attorney familiar with the county probate court in the county where the victim lives. An older person who loses their life savings will likely have a dramatic decline in quality of life, and often suffer from anxiety and/or depression.While any victim of theft or fraud has setbacks, younger people have many working years remaining to recover from a financial loss. With offices in I would like to sincerely thank you for helping me with obtaining my Certificate of Rehabilitation. Older people should carefully monitor bank, credit card, retirement, and other statements. Felony convictions can result in up to four years in jail and fines up to $10,000.Generally, family members simply want their loved elder’s assets returned. Because elderly and dependent adults are more vulnerable to financial crimes, violations of PC 368(d) and (e) are punished severely. The penalty may be just returning the stolen assets or money. However, going to court has the advantage of securing a legally enforceable judgment that can be used to force the abuser to repay the funds within a prescribed timeframe or on a set schedule. And facilities and their owners can face up to $200,000 in fines and an end to federal …

For example, if the victim lives in Los Angeles, we recommend working with an attorney in Los Angeles.