The RegistryPractice Area · Statewide
Elder Law Attorneys in California
Counsel for California's elders — abuse, neglect, and protective arrangements. This is the statewide record for elder law in California — every attorney on the State Bar of California's official roll whose practice reaches this shelf, scored in the open by the published Growth Score.
Californians search this field under many names — elder law attorney, elder law lawyer, elder abuse lawyer, elder abuse attorney, conservatorship attorney — and the registry answers all of them from the same source. Below: the governing deadline with its citation, what to weigh as you read the roster, the questions Californians ask with the code sections that answer them, and the record city by city, from the North Coast to the border.
The clock & the craft
Four years from discovery for financial elder abuse claims.
Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 15657.7
Physical elder abuse and neglect claims follow the two-year injury period (Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1). The Elder Abuse Act's enhanced remedies (§ 15657) require clear and convincing evidence of recklessness, oppression, fraud, or malice.
Reading the roster
Elder matters split into two crafts: protective litigation (financial abuse, nursing home neglect — often contingency-fee, with the Elder Abuse Act's fee-shifting) and planning (conservatorship alternatives, Medi-Cal long-term-care planning — typically flat or hourly fees). Look for attorneys who practice in the county's probate department for conservatorships, ask how they handle capacity evaluations, and act quickly where assets are moving — pre-judgment attachment and account freezes can preserve what a lawsuit would otherwise chase.
Elder Law · statewide roster
Registry indexing underway
195,000+ California attorneys are being verified against official State Bar of California records. Verified listings for Elder Law · California will appear here as indexing completes.
Official State Bar data · Scored in the open · Updated daily
Elder Law questions, cited
What qualifies as elder abuse under California law?
The Elder Abuse and Dependent Adult Civil Protection Act (Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 15600 et seq.) covers physical abuse, neglect, abandonment, isolation, and financial abuse of anyone 65 or older. Financial abuse is defined broadly — taking or retaining an elder's property for wrongful use, with intent to defraud, or by undue influence (§ 15610.30). Proof of recklessness or malice unlocks enhanced remedies including attorney fees and pre-death pain-and-suffering damages (§ 15657).
How long do I have to sue for financial elder abuse in California?
Four years from when the abuse was, or reasonably should have been, discovered (Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 15657.7). Claims for physical abuse or neglect generally follow the two-year personal injury period of Cal. Code Civ. Proc. § 335.1. When the abuser controlled the elder's affairs, discovery rules and equitable tolling often become central issues.
Can a nursing home be sued for neglect in California?
Yes. Skilled nursing facilities owe statutory duties of care under the Elder Abuse Act and patient's rights regulations; reckless neglect supports enhanced remedies under Welf. & Inst. Code § 15657, and Health & Safety Code § 1430(b) provides a resident's private right of action for rights violations. Arbitration agreements signed at admission are common and frequently contested — they do not always bind the resident or heirs.
What is a conservatorship and when is one needed?
A superior court proceeding appointing a conservator to manage the person or estate of an adult who cannot manage themselves (Cal. Prob. Code § 1800 et seq.). Courts must consider less restrictive alternatives first — powers of attorney, health care directives, or supported decision-making — and since AB 1194 (2021), conservatee rights and conservator accountability have been tightened. Limited conservatorships serve developmentally disabled adults.
Who is required to report elder abuse in California?
Mandated reporters — care custodians, health practitioners, clergy, and financial institution employees for suspected financial abuse — must report known or suspected abuse to Adult Protective Services or law enforcement (Cal. Welf. & Inst. Code § 15630, § 15630.1). Failure to report is a misdemeanor. Anyone may report voluntarily, and reports can run alongside a civil case rather than replacing it.
Legal information, not legal advice.
From the answer files
Elder Law by city
Adjacent shelves of the law
Read the record. Then decide.
Describe your matter once, weigh the published scores, and place the call — the choice is always yours.
Find Your Counsel195,000+ attorneys · 58 counties · Scored in the open