'Assets for care: a guide for lawyers to assist older clients at risk of financial abuse' and 'care for your assets: money, ageing and family'--student review.

• Jurisdiction: Australia
• Published date: 01 January 2013
• Author: Lentini, Esterina E.
• Author: Lentini, Esterina E.
• Date: 01 January 2013

I INTRODUCTION

Seniors Rights Victoria, a specialist legal and advocacy service focused on safeguarding the rights of elder Victorians and preventing elder abuse through the provision of information, support and education, (1) recently published two valuable resources entitled 'Assets for Care: A Guide for Lawyers to Assist Older Clients at Risk of Financial Abuse' ('Assets for Care') (2) and 'Care for Your Assets: Money, Ageing and Family' ('Care for Your Assets'). (3) These guides, produced with a view to increasing public awareness and understanding of elder abuse, especially in relation to financial matters, (4) are useful aids for professionals, community members, interested parties, as well as older people themselves, to equip individuals with the skills to detect situations of potential or actual abuse, and ultimately to prevent or avoid them.

II 'ASSETS FOR CARE: A GUIDE FOR LAWYERS TO ASSIST OLDER CLIENTS AT RISK OF FINANCIAL ABUSE'

'Assets for Care' is a practical guide for Victorian lawyers which is aimed at directing a lawyer's mind to their role and duties in relation to older clients, particularly in relation to financial transactions. Like 'Care for Your Assets', 'Assets for Care' stresses the importance of safeguarding an older client's rights and independence. The publication ultimately seeks to ensure that lawyers are aware of the possible situations of elder abuse that may arise in the common transactions which constitute their everyday legal work, and to provide tips and advice as to how to minimise these risks, act in the best interests of their older client, and remedy existing situations of abuse.

The publication outlines key matters relevant to legal professionals and their older clients in a succinct but comprehensive manner. It addresses the duties of a legal practitioner in relation to older clients, (5) how to assess...