“Elder Law Issues for Everyone: Your Aging Clients, Their Parents and You”—A great success!

The evaluations are in and the general consensus is that the CLE program this committee co-sponsored with the ISBA Elder Law Section Council, the ISBA General Practice, Solo & Small Firm Section Council, and the ISBA Senior Lawyers Section Council on April 7th was a hit with the attendees! We drew 87 participants, and the speaker roster was a veritable who’s who of esteemed professionals in his/her area of expertise.

The promotional brochure summarized the day’s agenda as follows:

Increase your understanding of the elder law landscape and make it easier to advise your clients on making informed choices!

Legal issues for the aging are numerous, on the rise, and reaching into all areas of life. As a practitioner, you need to be particularly sensitive to these issues and their impact on elder clients. This full-day seminar will give you the confidence to assist clients in making proper decisions for all involved during a potentially stressful time. Topics include: physical, cultural, and psychological considerations when dealing with the elderly client; social security; Medicare and Medicaid issues; guardianship avoidance in diminished capacity cases; the financial representation of aging clients; trust & testamentary substitutes; probate issues; life care planning; powers of attorney; and much more. A discussion on avoiding conflicts of interest when dealing with family, caregivers, and substitute decision-makers is also included.

Although the day was long and the syllabus jam-packed, it appeared as though those in attendance would have loved to have continued the discussion beyond the conclusion of the program. A follow-up social and networking hour would have been the perfect way to cap off a great day and great course! ■

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The author of this article, Mary Petruchius, is a solo general practitioner in Sycamore, Illinois. She is the incoming secretary of the ISBA Standing Committee on Women and the Law and is the chair of its CLE subcommittee. Her Web site is www.petruchiuslaw.com and her e-mail address is marypet@petruchiuslaw.com.