Elder Fraud Litigation

Craig T. Matthews talks about how representing victims of elder fraud is his professional passion.

“Elder Fraud is a passion of mine. The latest study indicates that about 2.6 Billion Dollars is fraudulently taken from elders on an annual basis. My father had Alzheimer’s and I watched the progression of that disease. It took about 15 years to bring him down and I saw the vulnerability and the difficulties that he had in keeping his finances in place… And that makes it very real for me because when it happens to someone you love, you understand it on a different level. And I would not want my father to have been exploited… When a client comes to me and their money has been taken, you’ve got to act quickly. Time is of the essence.”

Our founding attorney, Craig Matthews, has been helping seniors and vulnerable adults recover millions of dollars in financial damages since 1978. He is recognized as one of the region’s most powerful legal advocates on behalf of senior citizens victimized by financial elder abuse and consumer fraud.

From offices in Dayton and Cincinnati, our lawyers litigate on behalf of the elderly and vulnerable adults in the following areas:

Financial elder abuse: Including financial exploitation and unauthorized access to an elderly person’s financial accounts or property assets, often by trusted family members.

Elder law litigation: We also protect the rights of senior citizens who have fallen victim to fraudulent home repair schemes, inappropriate insurance policies and other types of fraudulent consumer services that often target the elderly and vulnerable. We also protect the rights of senior citizens facing neglect or abuse in a residential nursing home or home health care environment.

Will Contents litigation: We litigate disputes when assets do not pass to rightful heirs and beneficiaries because of incompetence or undue influence at the time the last will and testament was signed.

Guardianship litigation: We pursue applications for the appointment of a guardian if an elderly person is being taken advantage of but lacks insight or judgment and cannot protect themselves. And we defend elderly persons who must fight for their independence after a family member or other files an application to declare them incompetent for their own financial gain.

Blended Families: The death of a spouse is commonly followed with a second marriage by the widow or widower. The second marriage can result in additional children. This is the “blended family.” Blended families can present unique estate planning goals.

Our elder law practice also includes wills and trust, estate planning, and probate litigation.