The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services states that almost 70 percent of folks aged 65 and over will need some type of long-term care in their remaining lifetime. What will this care look like? How will this care be paid for? How will the senior’s family be affected? Answering these questions and creating a plan is a major part of elder law.
As attorneys, we are in a fiduciary role and must be honest and fair with our clients. Our clients trust us with their lives, their families, and their savings. Hopefully, you don’t need to be told to not steal money from your clients because it is obviously egregious. But when a case comes out about an attorney who lost his way, it can serve as a reminder to keep us on our ethical toes.
An attorney out of Salt Lake City, Mr. Curtis, was just sentenced to 97 months in federal prison and assessed with almost $13 million dollars in restitution. The prosecuting team initially had reached a plea deal with Mr. Curtis for 6 years in prison, but the judge rejected those terms as unreasonable. Mr. Curtis plead guilty to wire fraud and money laundering. The clients he was charged with committing these crimes against were elderly or disabled folks.
Are you interested in learning more about elder law, how it could benefit your practice, and how you could go about incorporating this area of law into your practice? You have come to the right place.
Elder law is the area of law focused on issues that affect the aging population. While estate planning law focuses on what happens when the individual passes away, elder law focuses on what happens while the individual is still alive. This can include guardianship issues, addressing elder abuse claims, handling discrimination claims, planning for long-term care, obtaining government benefits, and helping with special needs issues. Let’s discuss some of these points in more detail.