Elder Law: exploitation, abuse, guardianship; the types of evidence needed to detect and address these concerns
“When the Golden Years Are Tarnished by Elder Financial Exploitation”
Presented by:
Bobbi K. Flowers
Professor of Law Stetson University College of Law
Elder financial exploitation is one of the fastest-growing—and most underreported—forms of abuse affecting older adults. Estate planners are uniquely positioned on the front lines, often seeing warning signs long before harm becomes irreversible. This presentation equips professionals working with senior adults to recognize red flags, understand common exploitation schemes, and take ethically and legally sound steps to protect clients’ autonomy, assets, and dignity.
By the end of this session, participants will be able to:
- Identify common forms of elder financial exploitation, including undue influence, caregiver abuse, and “new best friend” scenarios that appear suddenly—and expensively.
- Recognize behavioral, financial, and legal red flags that may indicate exploitation, even when the client insists “everything is fine.”
- Distinguish capacity issues from coercion, and understand how undue influence can exist even when legal capacity technically remains intact.
- Apply practical screening and documentation strategies during client interactions to protect both the client and the professional (because “I had a bad feeling” doesn’t hold up in court).
- Respond appropriately and ethically when exploitation is suspected, including knowing when—and how—to escalate concerns without blowing up the client relationship.
Getting to know your speaker:
Roberta (Bobbi) K. Flowers is a Professor of Law at Stetson University College of Law, where she teaches ethics in elder law practice in the Elder Law LL.M. program, along with evidence, criminal procedure, and professional responsibility—because one area of law simply isn’t enough.
At Stetson, she has served as Director of the Elder Justice Center, Director of the Center for Excellence in Advocacy, and as the William Reece Smith, Jr. Distinguished Professor in Professionalism. Nationally, she is a past president of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), a role that reflects both her leadership in the field and her longstanding commitment to ethical lawyering.
Professor Flowers lectures widely across the United States and internationally on legal ethics. Along with Professor Rebecca Morgan, she created a nationally used series of training videos depicting ethical dilemmas faced by elder law attorneys—bringing realism (and occasionally discomfort) to ethics education. For this work, Professors Morgan and Flowers received the Florida Supreme Court Professionalism Award. The duo also designed the nation’s first “elder-friendly courtroom,” a forward-looking model that reshaped how courts can better serve older adults.
Professor Flowers earned her J.D. from the University of Colorado School of Law, where she graduated Order of the Coif, and her B.S., magna cum laude, from Baylor University.
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