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Legal Help (Aging) « Aging Issues

The mission of the ABA Commission on Law and Aging is to strengthen and secure the legal rights, dignity, autonomy, quality of life, and quality of care of elders.

Legal Help for People Who Are Elderly

  • Bifocal (American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging)
    Newsletter distributed six times a year to elder bar section of the ABA.
  • California Senior Legal Hotline  (Legal Services of Northern CA)
    The Senior Legal Hotline provides free legal assistance to Sacramento residents age 60 years and over on almost any civil issue. Some areas we commonly advise clients on are estate planning, probate, grandparent rights, landlord/tenant disputes, locating pensions, and eligibility for public benefits. SLH also has an in-house phone mediation program, and a pension counseling project that serves callers of all ages and income levels who live or have worked in California, Arizona, Nevada or Hawaii.
  • Commission on Law and Aging (ABA)
    ABA policies based on the recommendations at its annual meeting.
  • In Your Hands: Legal Tools for Preserving Personal Autonomy (YouTube Video)
    Created by the American Bar Association Commission on Law and Aging, this video is narrated by the late Helen Hayes, with an epilogue by her son, James MacArthur. It addresses the legal aspects of planning for incapacity in a clear and positive way, and introduces four legal tools: durable powers of attorney, medical powers of attorney, living wills and trusts.  
  • Legal Assistance Programs (by State)
    This website contains information about a wide variety of public legal service providers. Whether you just need to ask basic legal questions through a legal hotline or you need more extended attorney services through a legal aid program, legalhotlines.org can help you locate the applicable services in your area by selecting your state from the map or clicking on the link to the resources below.
  • Legal Resources and Considerations for Seniors and Persons with Special Needs 
    Both the disabled and the elderly population have specific rights that are protected by law. From the right to fair housing to the right to be protected from fraud and abuse, these are clearly outlined in the law. Unfortunately those rights often aren't met in day-to-day life as they should be. 
  • National Center on Law and Elder Rights (NCLER)
    National resource center for the legal services and aging and disability networks, focused on the legal rights of older adults.
  • National Consumer Law Center
    Protecting vulnerable consumers and promoting marketplace justice.
  • National Senior Citizens Law Center (NSCLC)
    Advocates before the courts, Congress and federal agencies to promote the independence and well-being of low-income elderly and disabled Americans.
  • Senior Legal Helplines Annual Report – 2017 (CERA)
    A Report from the Center for Elder Rights Advocacy and the National Association of Senior Legal Helplines