Elder Abuse

The mission of the Elder Law Center (ELC) is to provide legal advice and qualified representation to senior citizens of Contra Costa County, 65 and older, who have been victims of elder financial abuse. Due to the burgeoning need for elder legal services, the ELC is dedicated to assisting victims of elder financial abuse and to proactively combatting elder financial abuse by educating the public through presentation and community workshops.

Brief history: In 2005, under the direction of Attorney, Virginia M. George, the JFK University Elder Law Clinic was established to combat elder financial abuse. The Clinic operated successfully for several years and became an important provider of critically needed legal services. In June 2010, JFK University determined that it could no longer financially maintain the Elder Law Clinic and closed the program as it was originally designed. The Law Center, a non-profit agency that assists low income residents of Contra Costa County, and the Contra Costa County Bar Association were committed to continuing the work of the Elder Law Clinic. In October 2010, Elder Law Center (ELC) formed under the auspices of The Law Center (TLC) and continues to be a vital resource for seniors of Contra Costa County.

Service type: Providing free pro bono legal representation for low and no income elders of Contra Costa County who have been the victims of financial abuse. Public education and outreach to seniors to prevent/detect elder financial abuse.

Number of Employees: Part-time attorney, Samantha Sepehr; panel of approximately 20 volunteer attorneys.

Why: The ELC serves a large cross section of the elderly population throughout Contra Costa County which has been increasing exponentially over the last decade. Statistics show that the senior population in Contra Costa County alone will increase anywhere from 90 (age 65 %+) to 200 (age 85+) percent. With these staggering statistics, the weak economy and a severe lack of resources,...