Having to hire an elder abuse attorney can be a stressful task that often adds to an already stressful period of your life. The process can be hard, especially if you’ve never done it before and don’t know where to start, as most people don’t. There are a handful of things that you can know before you begin looking, though, that will make it feel much easier, hopefully taking some of the stress away from you during this process. Here are a few things to know when you begin looking for an elder abuse attorney in Escondido:
Know what they do:
Elder abuse attorneys often specialize in elder law as a whole and can help with a lot more than simply pursuing a case of elder abuse, making them ideal for anyone with an elder in their life as legal responsibilities begin to add up. Elder law attorneys can help with anything from elder abuse cases to establishing paperwork like power of attorney and last will and testaments. However, some might work with one type of case more often than another.
Make sure all of your legal documents are correct and in order.
Like we said before, elder abuse attorneys specialize in a lot of different elements of elder law, and can help you get any legal documents in order as well. It’s a good idea to have established power of attorney, as well as things like a will when you begin working with these cases because it will mean that you don’t have to stress out about what could happen in the future while you pursue other things. As a victim of elder abuse, your loved one may not want to deal with the added stress of having to worry about their own future while pursuing a stressful legal case.
Check that they’re registered with the national academy of elder attorneys.
Reputable and certified lawyers that work specifically as elder attorneys will be registered with the national academy of elder attorneys. This register compiles a list of all of the elder attorneys in the country and indexes them so that potential clients can easily check for any and all certifications that may be needed.
Meet for a consultation.
Usually free, these consultations can give you a good idea of what to expect in working with an elder attorney, and help a potential attorney understand your case on a personal level. Since the point of these consultations is to see if the lawyer would be a good fit for the case, you can probably expect that you won’t be charged for it since the point is for them to see if you would be a good client in the first place. This will also give you a chance to ask any questions you might have, so don’t be afraid to ask in order to make sure they’re the perfect attorney for you and your specific needs. During this process, you can also ask for recommendations and testimonies from some of their previous clients, and ask if it’s possible to speak with clients that have a similar case as yours to find out what their experience was like.