NWLS Elder Law Project
Addresses Unique Needs of Elderly Population
As the number of Baby Boomers with an eye on retirement increases, it is important to understand the civil legal issues they may face.
The NWLS Elder Law Project is designed to provide free legal aid to low-income seniors with these legal concerns. It also enables NWLS to develop expertise in the kinds of issues that will confront a growing portion of the population.
"The project addresses the unique civil legal needs of the elderly in our region. As people grow older, they may experience specific legal problems as a result of their age. We need to be ready for that," explained Julia Bandecca, the NWLS staff attorney assigned to the project.
With nearly twenty years experience as a legal aid staff attorney, Bandecca has represented clients in a wide variety of civil cases. The Elder Law Project, though, is bringing new challenges to her caseload.
"I recently represented an elderly client whose home was scheduled for a tax sale because of unpaid property taxes. Her monthly income was so low that she couldn't pay her basic bills and her taxes," Bandecca reported.
Attorney Bandecca was able to help the client use the equity in her home to obtain a "reverse mortgage." The income from the reverse mortgage enabled the client to pay all her past due property taxes, and to help with the property taxes for a few years to come.
The result is that the elderly client can remain in the home where she has lived all of her life.
The NWLS Elder Law Project is made possible by a special project grant from the Pennsylvania Interest on Lawyers Trust Account (IOLTA).
As the number of Baby Boomers with an eye on retirement increases, it is important to understand the civil legal issues they may face.
The NWLS Elder Law Project is designed to provide free legal aid to low-income seniors with these legal concerns. It also enables NWLS to develop expertise in the kinds of issues that will confront a growing portion of the population.
"The project addresses the unique civil legal needs of the elderly in our region. As people grow older, they may experience specific legal problems as a result of their age. We need to be ready for that," explained Julia Bandecca, the NWLS staff attorney assigned to the project.
With nearly twenty years experience as a legal aid staff attorney, Bandecca has represented clients in a wide variety of civil cases. The Elder Law Project, though, is bringing new challenges to her caseload.
"I recently represented an elderly client whose home was scheduled for a tax sale because of unpaid property taxes. Her monthly income was so low that she couldn't pay her basic bills and her taxes," Bandecca reported.
Attorney Bandecca was able to help the client use the equity in her home to obtain a "reverse mortgage." The income from the reverse mortgage enabled the client to pay all her past due property taxes, and to help with the property taxes for a few years to come.
The result is that the elderly client can remain in the home where she has lived all of her life.
The NWLS Elder Law Project is made possible by a special project grant from the Pennsylvania Interest on Lawyers Trust Account (IOLTA).
posted by Access to Justice at 11:02 AM
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