Legal Assistance for Older Adults
Information
Legal assistance for Missourians 60 or older can be provided by the area agencies on aging (AAAs) through partnerships and contracts with local legal providers. AAAs only provide legal assistance related to civil cases and cannot provide assistance for criminal cases or traffic citations.
Legal assistance is legal advice and representation provided by an attorney to older individuals with economic or social needs as defined in the Older Americans Act. It also includes to the extent feasible, counseling or other appropriate assistance by a paralegal or law student under the direct supervision of a lawyer and counseling or representation by a non-lawyer where permitted by law.
The AAAs will give priority to legal assistance related to:
- Income,
- Health care,
- Long-term care,
- Nutrition,
- Housing,
- Utilities,
- Protective services,
- Defense of guardianship,
- Abuse,
- Neglect, and
- Age discrimination.
Contact
Find your local AAA here to learn what legal assistance is available in your area. You can also call the Missouri Senior Resource Helpline toll-free at 1-800-235-5503 to be connected with local assistance.
Resources
- APS Abuse and Neglect Online Reporting or Hotline 1-800-392-0210
- Consumer Financial Protection Bureau: a U.S. government agency dedicated to making sure you are treated fairly by banks, lenders and other financial institutions
- Free Legal Answers: a virtual legal advice clinic in which qualifying users post civil legal questions at no cost to be answered by pro bono attorneys licensed in their state
- Legal Topics from the Missouri Bar: Free PDFs and print resources about civil legal topics
- Legal Services Corporation of Missouri (Legal Aid): legal aid programs providing free legal help to the low-income and disadvantaged in Missouri
- Missouri Tenant Help: free DIY form to help you create your own court documents to fight your eviction.
- National Center on Law & Elder Rights: provides Legal Training, Case Consultations, and Technical Assistance on Legal Systems Development
- National Center on Elder Abuse: provides the latest information and resources on research, training, policy, and best practices on preventing and responding to elder mistreatment
- Pension Rights Center: helps individuals receive and retain retirement benefits they have earned, educates them about their rights, and works to improve the nation’s retirement programs
- Report Abuse or Neglect in a Long-Term Care Facility: contact information for Missouri’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program
- Senior Citizen’s Handbook (legal): laws and programs affecting senior citizens in Missouri
- United Way 2-1-1 Community Services: connects you to expert, caring help
- Elder Care Locator: a public service of the U.S. Administration on Aging connecting you to services for older adults and their family
Disclaimer: This webpage is intended as a source of information and is not intended to provide legal advice or counsel.
This project was supported, in part by grant number 2201MOOASS, from the U.S. Administration for Community Living, Department of Health and Human Services, Washington, D.C. 20201.