(December 2011) - Unfortunately, financial abuse against vulnerable adults is more common than we would like to imagine. This problem was recognized in 1988 when the legislature determined that elder abuse in Arizona was a serious problem justifying legislative intervention and enacted the Adult Protective Services Act (APSA). In a case directly on point with this problem, the Gorman & Jones, PLC probate litigation team recently secured a significant victory for a client when the Maricopa County Superior Court awarded judgment in the client's favor in a case alleging financial exploitation of vulnerable adults (ARS §46-456) against certain named beneficiaries of the vulnerable adults' estate. Essentially, the vulnerable adults had two children to whom they left their entire estate. Shockingly; when the vulnerable adults died, client discovered that the estate was indigent since his sibling caused the vulnerable adults to sign convey everything to her leaving Client with a significantly diminished inheritance. In its ruling, the Court held that ARS §46-456(B) provided the client with civil damages of up to two times the amount of monetary damages and these damages are owed to the client as a beneficiary of the vulnerable adults estate.
About Gorman & Jones, Plc.
Founded in 2000, the law firm of Gorman & Jones, PLC practices exclusively in estate planning, estate administration, probate law, will and trust disputes and the related fields of elder law and probate litigation. Our team of lawyers has almost 30 years of combined estate planning and probate legal experience. We have 5 offices for our clients' convenience located throughout the Sun City, Phoenix, and Scottsdale areas. Whether your estate is large or small, we are here to serve you. For more information, visit www.gormanandjones.com.
