ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Financial Elder Abuse
Recovery For Victims
Financial elder abuse takes many forms and strikes seniors in Alameda County and throughout California every day. The Alameda County and California financial elder abuse attorneys at Evans Law Firm represent victims in civil actions against all manner of abusers: insurance agents, brokers, reverse mortgage lenders, financial advisors, persons acting pursuant to a Power of Attorney, trustees, and embezzling caregivers, among others. In a late 2017 case[1] from Southern California a police officer and two others were arrested for allegedly bilking seniors out of hundreds of thousands of dollars. All sorts of people exploit senior citizens financially. In most financial elder abuse cases, the victims are acquainted with the abuser. If you or someone you know is the victim of financial elder abuse in Alameda County or elsewhere in California, call Evans Law Firm today at 415-441-8669.
Criminal and Non-Criminal Abuse
While financial elder abuse is often criminal as in the recent Southern California case, financial elder abuse may also be financial exploitation of a senior that falls short of criminal conduct. For example, an insurance agent or financial advisor may sell a senior insurance policies or annuities resulting in large sales commissions or an agent acting with Power of Attorney from a senior may exploit the Power of Attorney for his or her own gain. California law defines financial elder abuse broadly: any “taking” of a senior’s property for a “wrongful use” constitutes financial elder abuse in our State. We at Evans Law Firm represent seniors in Alameda County and throughout California who have been the victims of financial exploitation by any kind of actor. We work on financial elder abuse cases every day. Call us at (415)441-8669 when you first suspect a problem.
Prevention
If you’re a senior or the loved one of a senior be cautious in all financial matters. Know that anyone could be a potential financial predator. That’s a hard dose of reality, but true. We cannot stress enough that you should seek professional help whenever you first suspect financial elder abuse. Seek the advice of people you trust. Do not relinquish authority by a Power of Attorney to anyone unless it’s someone you completely trust. Make sure checks are kept in a safe place. If in-home care is required, do a thorough background check on anyone before hiring them. Dependent seniors are often victims of financial elder abuse by caregivers. Keep an eye out for strangers who suddenly become over-involved in a senior’s daily life. Don’t respond to door-to-door or phone or internet solicitations for money; these are the most recurring types of financial elder abuse. Lastly, if you’re a senior, don’t isolate; let loved ones and longtime friends and professionals help you just as you helped them in your younger years. If you’re the loved one of a senior stay involved and maintain daily contact. As the recent case involving a police officer suspected of financial elder abuse demonstrates, anyone may be a financial predator.
Contact Us
If you or a loved one been the victim of financial elder abuse in Alameda County, or in any California county, contact Alameda County financial elder abuse attorney Ingrid Evans and the other Evans Law Firm financial elder abuse attorneys at (415) 441-8669, or by email at <a href=”mailto:info@evanslaw.com”>info@evanslaw.com</a>. Our attorneys have experience with all types of financial elder abuse, investment and securities fraud and annuity fraud. We can help guide your case through a jury trial, through a FINRA arbitration, or toward an equitable settlement. We handle cases involving physical and financial elder abuse, qui tam and whistleblower law, nursing home abuse, whole life insurance and universal life insurance, and indexed, variable, and fixed annuities.
[1] Evans Law Firm was not involved in the case in any way.
