Protecting our Seniors

Protecting our Seniors – Elder Law Webinar

On Thursday, July 30th, Christian Legal Society hosted a webinar titled Protecting Our Senior Citizens: Elder Law Basics for Legal Aid Attorneys. We invite you to watch, or rewatch, the webinar below. 

Additional Resources

Below are some samples of elder law documents, courtesy of Scranton Road Legal Clinic. Some of these documents are specific to Ohio law, so attorneys will need to review them and determine whether the documents would be appropriate for use under their own state’s law.

Over 25 million Americans aged 60+ are economically insecure—living at or below 250% of the federal poverty level. According to the Legal Services Corporation, 6.5 million seniors lacked access to justice in 2017. With so many seniors lacking formal end-of-life documents, and with many falling prey to scams and illegal debt collection tactics, the need for pro bono legal services is critical.

This free webinar will cover the many legal challenges encountered by low-income older adults, including scam prevention and resolution and debtor/creditor relations. It will also present relevant considerations and resources for powers of attorney, wills, advance directives, and transfer on death instruments. Finally, we will discuss God’s call to minister to and honor our elders as it relates to the practice of law.

COVID19 considerations with elder law:

  • The elderly are more susceptible to abuse and fraud during this time.
  • They may be losing their mental faculties more quickly, so may have more issues regarding legal capacity
  • It may be more difficult to communicate with and handle legal issues with relatives; for example, a church member who dies intestate and doesn’t leave any contacts of relatives.

Presenter:

Sheila Nemati Fell is the Program Director of Scranton Road Legal Clinic. She has been licensed to practice law in Ohio since 2010, holding a J.D. and a Certificate of Nonprofit Management from Case Western Reserve University. Since founding the Scranton Road Legal Clinic under the umbrella of 501(c)(3) Scranton Road Ministries C.D.C. in 2012, the clinic has served over 2,000 local families with brief legal advice, pro se assistance, referrals to pro bono and low-cost attorneys, and community-based legal education. Sheila lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with her husband and 3-year-old son and is a member of John Knox Presbyterian Church. 

GET UPDATES