CONSUMER LAW Archives - Center for Elder Law & Justice

submitted by Kristen Orr, Tech Paralegal April is National Financial Capability Month. Being financially capable means having the knowledge and the confidence to take charge of your financial wellbeing. You can take charge on your own, but it’s also okay to recognize that you need assistance and enlist appropriate help. Being active and engaged in…

The month of March began with National Consumer Protection Week. The FTC has recently reported that Americans lost upwards of $3.3 billion to scams and fraud in 2020. This is almost double the amount lost in 2019! Just in New York State, which had the 9th highest rate of fraud reports to the FTC in…

A senior gentleman stacking and counting coins

submitted by Brandy Hernandez-Hamil, Paralegal The term “judgment proof” is often used when referring to an individual who may not be subject to income garnishments or property liens from creditors for a debt. There are many requirements to become judgment proof, however. The information below can be helpful to determine your rights when you are…

The SFST Bulletin is a monthly electronic publication written for financial professionals. Our goal is to increase awareness of legal issues faced by older adults in our community related to financial exploitation by providing these informative materials to financial professionals. Each month the SFST Bulletin will focus on new and timely topics that affect consumer…

The Center for Elder Law & Justice has partnered with Lake Shore Savings Bank to utilize the Senior Financial Safety Tool (SFST). The SFST is a web-based application that screens older adults for common warning signs of financial exploitation. Our goal is to develop a detection and referral system so that we can work collaboratively…

Have you ever heard a loved one say that they feel like they need an attorney to get through all of the forms involved in Medicare applications? That they have a question about a reverse mortgage, but don’t want to get charged $200 an hour for a simple answer? Or that they can’t get the…

Service of process is an essential part of our justice system. If one is the subject of a complaint or petition, in order for them to confront that allegation in court, service of process is required as an essential part of due process. While service of process is required for all kinds of litigation, it…

Kevin Quinn, Staff Attorney Housing Unit Tenants often have difficulty recovering all or even a portion of the security deposit that they paid to their landlord at the beginning of their tenancy. The following are some useful tips we recommend using to insure that your transition out of your apartment is a smooth one. The…