ATTORNEY NEWSLETTER
Financial Elder Abuse
Financial elder abuse strikes seniors in San Mateo County and throughout California every day. Often, the incidents pass unreported because of shame or embarrassment or because of memory loss or other cognitive impairment that prevents the victim for remembering or understanding his or her financial affairs. The San Mateo County and California financial elder abuse attorneys at Evans Law Firm, Inc. represent victims in civil actions against all manner of abusers: insurance agents, brokers, reverse mortgage lenders, financial advisors, trustees and those acting under Powers of Attorney, scam artists, and embezzling family members and caregivers. If you or someone you know is the victim of financial elder abuse in San Mateo 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, 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, a trustee or other fiduciary may put their own interests before those of an elder settlor or principal, or an attorney-in-fact operating with a senior’s Power of Attorney 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. Anyone who knowingly “assists” in the taking is also an elder abuser under the law. Always report financial elder abuse to the authorities but also speak with counsel to in order to pursue all civil remedies available under California elder abuse protection laws. We at Evans Law Firm represent seniors in San Mateo 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, including the elder’s own children. 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.
Contact Us
If you or a loved one been the victim of financial elder abuse in San Mateo County, or in any California county, contact 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 guide your case through a jury trial, through a FINRA arbitration if required when the abuser is a broker or financial advisor, 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.
