How the Elderly Can Protect Themselves

There have been many instances of elder abuse from children or other individuals in the role of trustee. The children or the other trustees think that they know better than the elder person signing the documents, and so they will influence the older individual to sign something that might not be in line with his or her interests. When meeting with an attorney, there are three steps you can take as an elderly individual to guard against this risk.

1. Ask whether the lawyer is representing you as the parent or your children. Be sure that the lawyer understands you are his or her client as the parent.

2. The lawyer should speak to you in isolation from the beneficiaries of the trust to be sure that you are not being influenced by outside pressures

3. Ask questions about what you are signing.

See Sanford Altman, Seniors, Be Wary of Signing Trusts, recordonline.com, Apr. 6, 2012.

Special thanks to Jim Hillhouse (Professional Legal Marketing (PLM, Inc.)) for bringing this article to my attention.