Elder Law - Senior Law

The mission of the ABA Commission on Law and Aging is to strengthen and secure the legal rights, dignity, autonomy, quality of life, and quality of care of elders. It carries out this mission through research, policy development, technical assistance, advocacy, education, and training.

The Age Discrimination in Employment Act of 1967 (ADEA) prohibits discrimination on the basis of age and generally bans mandatory retirement. Covered employers are those engaged in an industry affecting interstate commerce and who employ twenty or more full or part time workers for each working day in each of twenty or more weeks in the current or preceding calendar year. Covered employees are generally those over the age of 40.

The Elder Justice Coalition was formally launched on February 10, 2003, to coincide with the introduction of the Elder Justice Act (S. 333), which was introduced by Senators John Breaux and Orrin Hatch.

Elder law is a legal term coined to cover an area of legal practice that places an emphasis on those issues that affect the growing aging population. There are three major categories that make up elder law: Estate planning and administration, Medicaid, disability and other long-term care issues as well as Guardianship.

Support for seniors, their families and their attorneys in achieving their goals. This site provides the following services: the best information on the Internet about crucial legal issues facing seniors; a network of highly qualified elder law attorneys nationwide, and online practice tools for elder law attorneys.

The Administration on Aging is pleased to provide the following off-site resources to connect older persons, caregivers and professionals to important federal, national, and local programs.

The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) is a federal law that sets minimum standards for retirement and health benefit plans in private industry. ERISA does not require any employer to establish a plan. It only requires that those who establish plans must meet certain minimum standards.

The NAELA membership is comprised of attorneys in the private and public sectors who deal with legal issues affecting seniors and people with disabilities. Members also include judges, professors of law, and students.

Elder law attorneys may now be certified in this field by the Board of Certification of the National Elder Law Foundation (NELF), a non-profit organization founded in 1993, and dedicated to the development and improvement of the professional competence of lawyers in the area of elder law. The purpose of the certification program is to identify those lawyers who have the enhanced knowledge, skills, experience and proficiency to be properly identified to the public as certified elder law attorneys.

Since 1972, the National Senior Citizens Law Center has worked to promote the independence and well-being of low-income elderly and disabled Americans, especially women, people of color, and other disadvantaged minorities. Because we believe in publicly-funded safety net programs, we work to preserve and strengthen Medicaid, Medicare Part D, Social Security and SSI. To guarantee fair treatment, we work for greater access to federal courts for citizens and for better enforcement of consumer’s legal rights in safety net programs.

Congress passed the Older Americans Act (OAA) in 1965 in response to concern by policymakers about a lack of community social services for older persons. The original legislation established authority for grants to States for community planning and social services, research and development projects, and personnel training in the field of aging. The law also established the Administration on Aging (AoA) to administer the newly created grant programs and to serve as the Federal focal point on matters concerning older persons.

The Congress hereby finds and declares that, in keeping with the traditional American concept of the inherent dignity of the individual in our democratic society, the older people of our Nation are entitled to, and it is the joint and several duty and responsibility of the governments of the United States, of the several States and their political subdivisions, and of Indian tribes to assist our older people to secure equal opportunity to the full and free enjoyment of the following objectives.

Throughout its existence, the Special Committee on Aging has served as a focal point in the Senate for discussion and debate on matters relating to older Americans. Often, the Committee will submit its findings and recommendations for legislation to the Senate. In addition, the Committee publishes materials of assistance to those interested in public policies which relate to the elderly.

As the U.S. government's official web portal, USA.gov makes it easy for the public to get U.S. government information and services on the web. USA.gov also serves as the catalyst for a growing electronic government.

The Social Security Amendments of 1965 was legislation in the United States whose most important provisions resulted in creation of two programs: Medicare and Medicaid. The legislation initially provided federal health insurance for the elderly (over 65) and for poor families. While President Lyndon B. Johnson was responsible for signing the bill, there were many others involved in drafting the final bill that was introduced to the United States Congress in March 1965.

The Senate Special Committee on Aging was first established in 1961 as a temporary committee. It was granted permanent status on February 1, 1977. While special committees have no legislative authority, they can study issues, conduct oversight of programs, and investigate reports of fraud and waste.

AARP International aims to help people live longer, healthier, more financially secure and productive lives by identifying the best ideas and practices on key policy issues. We convene international opinion leaders and policy makers to share their expertise and develop research on health and long-term care, livable communities, older workers and retirement income.

GAA carries out research on critical emerging topics and publishes the results on its website. GAA staff and interns research aging policy and programs, both in the US and worldwide: income support, health access, and human rights.

The International Federation on Ageing (IFA) is an international non-government organization (NGO) with a membership base of NGOs, the corporate sector, academia, governments and individuals. Founded in 1973, the IFA is a point of connection and a platform for knowledge exchange for those representing the needs and interests of millions of older people across the world.

An autonomous body under the auspices of the United Nations, the Institute holds a number of training courses for persons from developing countries, carries out research projects, hosts conferences and offers consultative services.

For over 35 years, the AoA has provided home and community-based services to millions of older persons through the programs funded under the Older Americans Act. Whether you are an older individual, a caregiver, a community service provider, a researcher, or a student, you will find valuable information provided in a user-friendly way.

HelpAge International has been working since 1983 to improve the lives of disadvantaged older people, through a global network that today spans more than 70 affiliate organisations in 50 countries.

NPEA is an organization, founded in 1997, which is dedicated to the global dissemination of information as part of its commitment to the world-wide prevention of the abuse of older people.

The Leadership Council of Aging Organizations (LCAO) is a coalition of national nonprofit organizations concerned with the well-being of America's older population and committed to representing their interests in the policy-making arena. Recognizing that the strength of the coalition lies in the diversity of its membership, the purpose of the LCAO is to foster communication and resource sharing among its member organizations, to serve as a source of information about issues affecting older persons, to initiate joint advocacy strategies as appropriate, and to provide leadership and vision as America meets the challenges and opportunities presented by its aging society.

As a non-partisan public policy institute, the Academy actively conducts and compiles research on issues related to population aging and provides information to the public, the press, policymakers, and the academic community.

The National Committee for the Prevention of Elder Abuse (NCPEA) is an association of researchers, practitioners, educators, and advocates dedicated to protecting the safety, security, and dignity of America's most vulnerable citizens. It was established in 1988 to achieve a clearer understanding of abuse and provide direction and leadership to prevent it. The Committee is one of three partners that make up the National Center on Elder Abuse, which is funded by Congress to serve as the nation's clearinghouse on information and materials on abuse and neglect.

Founded in 1950, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) is a nonprofit organization with a national network of more than 14,000 organizations and leaders. Our members include senior centers, area agencies on aging, adult day service centers, faith-based service organizations, senior housing facilities, employment services, consumer groups, and leaders from academia, business, and labor.

NIA, one of the 27 Institutes and Centers of NIH, leads a broad scientific effort to understand the nature of aging and to extend the healthy, active years of life. In 1974, Congress granted authority to form NIA to provide leadership in aging research, training, health information dissemination, and other programs relevant to aging and older people.

The UN Programme on Ageing is part of the Division for Social Policy and Development (DSPD), United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs (UNDESA). It is the focal point within the United Nations system on matters related to ageing. Its primary action is to facilitate and promote the Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing, including designing guidelines for policy development and implementation; advocating means to mainstream ageing issues into development agendas; engaging in dialogue with civil society and the private sector; and information exchange.

Aging Today, ASA's bimonthly newspaper, covers developments in public policy, research, practice, media and programming in the field of aging. A four-page pullout section, "In Focus," is devoted to in-depth coverage of a single topic.

The Elder Law Journal is an academic publication published twice annually by the students of the University of Illinois College of Law. The Elder Law Journal is the oldest scholarly publication in the country dedicated to addressing elder law issues. The Elder Law Journal publishes manuscripts that not only address policy decisions, but also serve as guides to attorneys practicing in the field. T

Articles written by attorneys and experts worldwide discussing legal aspects related to Family Law including: adoption, alimony, child support and custody, child visitation, collaborative law, divorce, domestic violence, elder law, juvenile crime, juvenile law, juvenile probation, paternity, pre-nuptial agreement, separation.