ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
The Subtle And Not-So-Subtle Signs Of Financial Manipulation
Why So Much Financial Elder Abuse Remains Hidden
Doing Something About It
Financial manipulation of seniors is of course a form of elder abuse. But much financial manipulation can be subtle and difficult to detect. Overt theft of an older person’s money or property might be spotted pretty quickly; less obvious manipulation by changing estate plans or the slower siphoning off of an elder’s money may be much harder to spot. Indeed, these more subtle forms of financial manipulation may not be discovered until after the senior dies. That does not mean that the senior’s surviving family is powerless to act against the manipulators though the family must act quickly. If you suspect any financial abuse of an older loved one or a beloved senior has just passed away and you suspect financial manipulation of his or her estate, call the elder abuse lawyers at Evans Law Firm, Inc. today at (415)441-8669 and we can help.
Signs of Financial Manipulation of Older Persons
Since money can be such a touchy and private subject, revealing financial abuse can be a tall task. So, what are some of the signs that you or an older loved one are being financially manipulated?
Smaller Signs – a caregiver or other person puts a senior on a “budget” or “allowance meant to conserve funds but in fact operating as a control mechanism over an older person’s money; use of a senior’s credit card at the supermarket to buy food for the senior and the caregiver’s family; small amounts of cash that may disappear but add up to significant sums overtime; bill payments that are perpetually late; sloppy recordkeeping like no receipts for purchases.
Larger Signs – complete control over a senior’s finances by a caregiver or other; creation of new bank accounts or new banking relationships that the senior never had before; online purchases; identity theft and online access to financial accounts; new Powers of Attorney and other estate planning documents; screening calls and the mail; getting signing authority or beneficiary designation on bank accounts.
What Recourse Is Available?
If you suspect any financial manipulation of a senior loved one – any whatsoever – call experienced elder abuse lawyers like the elder abuse attorneys at Evans Law Firm for help. Our experience shows that financial elder abuse only grows larger and rarely just “stops”: once a caregiver or other financial predator knows they are getting away with their financial manipulation of a senior, the numbers just keep getting bigger and the appetite for more (like taking the senior’s home) grows until the abuser has everything. But the senior victim and his or her family does have recourse to the law for justice. California elder abuse laws offer broad protection to seniors and also broadened remedies. Senior victims of financial elder abuse may be entitled to restitution (getting your money back), rescission (getting what has been done to you undone), damages (including punitive damage), and recovery of attorneys’ fees and expenses incurred in pursuing the wrongdoers.
Contact Us
Ingrid M Evans and the other elder abuse attorneys at Evans Law Firm can help any senior and his or her family pursue any persons or businesses responsible for financial elder abuse. Ingrid and the other elder abuse attorneys at our firm know how to investigate these cases, draft a complaint to initiate an elder abuse action and prosecute that case with the aim of getting you all the relief California law allow. Ingrid and the other elder abuse attorneys at Evans Law Firm can be reached at (415) 441-8669, or by email at info@evanslaw.com.
