What we do

Simple Estate Planning

Charlotte Center for Legal Advocacy’s Legal Services for the Elderly Program empowers residents of Mecklenburg County who are 60 and older to make their own plans and decisions governing end-of-life issues through drafting and executing simple wills, powers of attorney and advance directives.

Eligibility

The program represents residents of Mecklenburg County who are 60 years of age or older regardless of income and assets (with the exception of consumer, housing and benefits issues, which are subject to income eligibility). The program’s focus is to protect the legal rights of low-income elderly people who are unable to afford legal representation.

Community Outreach

Legal Services for the Elderly conducts community outreach and provides community legal education, including presentations and speaking engagements, to senior citizens and to the staff of other agencies. The program works regularly with the Mecklenburg County Park and Recreation Senior Centers, the Mecklenburg County Council on Aging, North Carolina’s Ombudsman Program, and other agencies serving the elderly.

Volunteers and training

Legal Services for the Elderly relies extensively on volunteer attorneys to represent clients whose cases have been evaluated and accepted. The program also provides continuing legal education and training programs for volunteer attorneys and attorneys who volunteer with other low-income taxpayer clinics.

During 2023, Legal Services for the Elderly:

  • Served 130 Mecklenburg seniors 60 and over with preparation of legal documents that preserve self-determination and mitigate risk of guardianship 
  • Hosted three wills clinics to draft simple estate planning documents, serving 56 clients