Finding an Attorney to Fight Elder Abuse
To locate an elder abuse attorney with the qualifications you want, ask for recommendations from friends and business associates. When finding a lawyer for elderly people, make sure that person has experience with elder law for nursing homes. Former Sacramento County Deputy District Attorney homicide prosecutor Sean Laird, now elder abuse attorney in Sacramento asks you to consider the following:
To find an elder abuse attorney, ask friends or colleagues who are familiar with nursing home abuse and neglect. When finding a lawyer for elderly abuse, you can get a recommendation from a lawyer referral service, which you can find on websites such as the State Bar of California, however, those services often do not know the local professional reputation. Elder law for nursing homes is a narrow field, so you want to find an attorney who specializes in it. For fighting physical elder neglect and abuse, you need an elder law attorney with years of experience pertinent to your situation.
Before choosing an elder abuse attorney, find out whether anyone you know and trust has been in your situation. If a lawyer for elderly abuse was retained, ask your friend or associate how effective that lawyer was, compare that with Sean Laird’s reputation and track record. In cases of elder law for nursing homes, also ask whether the lawyer was easy to work with and responsive to a client’s calls and questions. When it comes to physical elder neglect and abuse, first hand reports are often extremely helpful in selecting an elder abuse attorney. Watch the video here to see a first hand report of Sean Laird’s work.
When needing an elder abuse attorney, be cautious if you turn to clergy, social workers or financial planners and the like outside the field of elder neglect. While they may help in finding a lawyer for elderly people they may not have any idea about who is effective, their local reputation, track record, and success in trial. For ideas on elder law attorneys for nursing homes specific cases, determine whether the attorneys is a member of organizations that advocate in that specific field. With issues of physical elder neglect and abuse, staff at organizations like CAHNR (California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform) or AAJ (American Association for Justice) Nursing Home Litigation Group – both of which Mr. Laird is a member, may be able to suggest how to choose an elder law attorney.
Before selecting an elder abuse attorney, make sure the attorney specializes in the type of elder law that concerns you. Finding a lawyer for elderly abuse is what you want – rather than a lawyer who concentrates on estate planning or retirement benefits. Also, not all elder abuse lawyers specialize in every area – some may focus on financial issues, while others concentrate on healthcare cases. Your own attorney may recommend an attorney in the field of nursing home abuse and neglect. To choose an elder law attorney, it’s often helpful to ask someone who knows other lawyers and the work they do.
Next – Pt 2. – Checking Qualifications
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