Wednesday, March 20, 2013

Beware Of Predatory Elder Law And Probate Lawyers









Few would allege that elder law and/or probate attorneys are completely unnecessary but due to causes as simple as greed and as scandalous as often times complete disregard of the Constitution in local and county probate courts, many predatory elder law and probate attorneys have begun unconscionably enriching themselves at the expense of their clients and everyone else involved, however, innocent their involvement. Abuses have become commonplace enough, one should “Beware Of Predatory Elder Law And Probate Lawyers.” A cottage industry of predatory elder law and probate attorneys make their primary incomes “living off the land,” by attaching their fees, which are often out of control, to the estates and assets whenever there is some controversy among families that causes one family member or another to “lawyer up.”

Unfortunately I have twice been victimized in such situations and I am certain that thousands, if not millions, more Americans have had similar experiences. My first experience involved the estate of my second ex-wife’s father. He had intended to give his estate, which included property in Oklahoma with at least one oil well on it, equally to his three children. He had set up a trust, but had appointed the wife of a cousin as the Trustee of the estate. The Trustee was not to be trusted and in addition to rifling through my ex’s father’s safety deposit boxes and emptying his bank accounts using a power of attorney after his death, employed the services of an attorney to keep the family at bay. The ploy was successful but resulted in the attorney selling the property in Oklahoma and using most of the proceeds to pay his own fees, giving a crumb of just $1000 or so to the Trustee.

Full Article & Source:
Beware Of Predatory Elder Law And Probate Lawyers

6 comments:

Thelma said...

What began as a necessary law has become a feeding ground for predators.

StandUp said...

Yes, often times we go to them for help and they are the instigators of guardianships. Not all are bad, of course, but when they are.....

Anonymous said...

Good article!

Finny said...

No one is safe.

Anonymous said...

Come to Oregon. There are several Elder Law Firms, which are of quetionable reputation by case histories.

Anonymous said...

The author is correct. Millions of people have been victimized. Many don't realize it.