JAG attorneys get training to better help the retiree community

By Sgt. Joseph TruckleyAugust 22, 2017

JAG attorneys get training to better help the retiree community
(Photo Credit: U.S. Army) VIEW ORIGINAL

Civilian attorneys taught members of Fort Stewart's Judge Advocate General team laws aimed towards our retiree community here, August 14-15.

Civilian attorneys as far as Arizona, Oklahoma, Texas, South Carolina, Florida and Georgia came together to teach a two day seminar to JAG personnel assigned to Fort Stewart.

This unique event was a first for Fort Stewart's JAG office.

According to the Georgia Veteran Fact Book, there are 765,289 veterans in the state of Georgia. There are around 50,000 retirees in the Fort Stewart/Hunter Army Airfield surrounding areas.

"Fort Stewart has one of the largest military retiree population in the country," said Capt. Elizabeth Strickland, Administrative Law Attorney. "The focus of this seminar is to teach JAG and Department of the Army civilians here how to better help serve the retiree community."

Elder law is an area of legal practice that specializes on issues that affect the aging population. The purpose of elder law planning is to prepare the elderly person for financial freedom and autonomy through proper financial planning and long-term care options

The seminar included five civilian experts in elder law, which included Professor Rebecca Morgan who took the main lead in making sure the JAG attorneys understood and are capable to help retirees.

The main objective was to teach JAG attorneys how to help retirees with estate planning, long term care and the end of life decisions such as drafting wills.

Another key point taught to the JAG attorneys was how to help retirees with exploitations by scams and elder abuse.

"Abuse, neglect and exploitations is a huge problem, a rising problem, as well as a hidden problem," said Robert Fleming, an Elder Law Attorney from Arizona. "The most common type of neglect is self-neglect," he said.

According to studies done by the National Center on Elder Abuse out of 500,000 people 60 years of age and older, only 16 percent referred help, while 84 percent left the issue of abuse hidden.

The seminar was designed to familiarize the JAG and DA civilians with cases and issues that affect the retiree community so they would be aware and able to better assist them.

Mark Shalloway, an Elder Law Attorney from Florida, said, "When representing retirees you have to have their best interest. You must provide them with enough scope of the terms and conditions of what is going on, whether it is financially, designation of beneficiaries and real estate."

With this training that the JAG team and the DA Civilians received, they are now better prepared and equipped to assist veterans and retirees in the area of elder law.