Senior Law Project
The VOLS Senior Law Project serves low income New Yorkers age 60+ by partnering with pro bono attorneys to provide wills, powers of attorney, and other essential life planning documents free of charge. These documents enable our clients to maintain income and avoid homelessness, ensure that their dying wishes are fulfilled, and enable our clients’ caregivers to provide the care and services necessary for our clients to access health care and age in place. Senior Law Project staff attorneys also provide advice and counsel on landlord-tenant issues, as well as providing advice and referrals on a range of other issues. We provide trainings and ongoing support to social workers, senior center staff, and pro bono attorneys to address clients’ legal needs. We also regularly hold in-person legal clinics in coordination with community partners. Our Veterans Initiative extends the Senior Law Project’s services to older veterans in New York City. Additionally, La Extensión Comunitaria para Adultos Mayores webpage is a translation to serve our Spanish speaking New Yorkers.
The Importance of Life Planning
Obtaining your Life Planning Documents is now more important than ever. Please watch our VOLS Life Planning Documents Basics video to learn more about each document VOLS can help you obtain free of charge:
- Last Will & Testament
- Power of Attorney
- Health Care Proxy
- Living Will
- Control of Remains Form
How to Access Our Services
Call our help line, download our intake form or contact
the Senior Law Project team at seniorlaw@volsprobono.org
Call the SLP Help Line at 347-521-5704
Pro Bono Stories: Senior Law Project
What's New: Senior Law Project
VOLS is excited to announce our NEW decision making tool for life planning: “Planning for Your Future” in collaboration with the Center for Urban Pedagogy (CUP). This new tool provides accessible information to our senior clients about life planning that would formerly be less accessible to this community. CLICK on the image ABOVE to read the virtual pamphlet. To learn more about the design process and our collaboration with CUP click here: https://welcometocup.org/projects/planning-for-your-future
VOLS Submits Testimony To The New York City Council Committee On Veterans
On Monday, March 25, VOLS Senior Law Project testified before the New York City Council Committee on Veterans highlighting the…
VOLS Submits Testimony To The New York City Council Committee On Aging
On Friday, March 8, VOLS Senior Law Project testified before the New York City Council Committee on Aging on the…
VOLS Submits Testimony To The New York City Council Committees On Aging and Immigration
On Tuesday, February 27, VOLS Senior Law Project Supervising Attorney Elisa Tustian testified before the New York City Council Committees…
VOLS Submits Testimony To The New York City Council Committee On Aging
On Friday, January 26, VOLS Senior Law Project Senior Staff Attorney James Fenton testified before the New York City Council Committee…
VOLS Submits Testimony to the New York City Council Committee on Veterans
On Thursday, November 30, VOLS Legal Director and Senior Law Project Director Peter Kempner testified before the New York City Council…
Chief Judge’s Hearing on Civil Legal Services in New York
The NY Veterans Law Working Group, co-chaired by VOLS Legal Director Peter Kempner submitted written testimony to the New York…
VOLS' Resources for Seniors & Their Loved Ones
Click the buttons below to download our guides to learn more about life planning, and issues like guardianship, SCRIE/DRIE benefits, financial assistance for burial, and navigating the post-death landscape after losing a loved one.
Resources in Spanish
- Resumen de los documentos de planificación de vida (PDF)
- VOLS 2021 – Guía para obtener asistencia financiera para entierros y funerales en la ciudad de Nueva York (PDF)
- Guía para el Programa de Exención de Aumento de Alquiler para Personas de Edad Avanzada de la Ciudad de Nueva York (“SCRIE”)
- VOLS – Guía para la Administración Voluntaria (PDF)
- Guía sobre las tutelas del Artículo 81 (PDF)
Senior Law Project Stories
VOLS celebrates Financial Institution Pro Bono Day
Each year the Pro Bono Institute (PBI) and its Corporate Pro Bono (CPBO) project host their annual Financial Institution Pro Bono Day (FIPBD). FIPBD…
VOLS’ La Extensión Comunitaria para Adultos Mayores to be led by New Staff Attorney Elisa Tustian
The VOLS Elderly Project is thrilled to announce that Elisa M. Tustian has joined as our newest Staff Attorney. Elisa received her J.D. from…
VOLS’ Elderly Project Fights for SCRIE Recipient & Publishes Updated Guide to SCRIE
The Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) and Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) programs, administered by the New York City…
Community Partners
- ARC XVI Fort Washinton Inc.
- Bay Ridge Senior Centers
- BRC Senior Center
- Breaking Ground
- Brooklyn Public Library
- Carter Burden Network
- Catholic Charities
- Center for Urban Pedagogy
- Central Harlem Senor Citizens’ Centers, Inc.
- Chinese-American Planning Council Inc.
- Community Access
- Cooper Square Committee
- Encore Community Services Center
- Fort Washington Consolidated
- Feerick Center for Social Justice at Fordham Law School
- Greenwich House
- Grow Brooklyn
- Goddard-Riverside Community Services Senior Center
- Hamilton-Madison House
- Harlem Advocates for Seniors
- Heights and Hills
- Henry Street Settlement
- Housing and Services, Inc.
- Hudson Guild Adult Services
- JASA
- Lighthouse Guild
- Little Brother’s – Friends of the Elderly
- LiveOnNY
- Lifeforce in Later Years
- MJHS Isabella
- Neighborhood SHOPP
- New York Foundation for Senior Citizens
- New York State Division of Veterans Services
- New York Public Library
- NYC Department of Veterans Services
- NY Connects
- OATS
- Osborne
- Penn South Program for Seniors
- Phipps Neighborhoods
- Project Find
- Project Guardianship
- PSS
- R.A.I.N
- RiseBoro
- Riverstone Senior Life Services
- SAGE
- Search and Care
- SelfHelp
- Selis Manor
- Service Program for Older People
- Senior Planet
- St. George’s Society
- St. Nicks Alliance
- St. Margaret’s House HDFC
- Stanley Isaacs Senior Center
- Stonewall Community Development Corp.
- Sunnyside Community Services, Inc.
- Trinity Church Wall Street
- Tuttle Fund Stipendiary Program
- University Settlement
- United Jewish Council of the East Side
- VA New York Harbor Health Care System, Manhattan Campus
- Visions
- Visiting Nurse Services of New York
- VillageCare
- VetConnectNYC
- Washington Heights Inwood Council on Aging
- West Side Federation for Senior & Supportive Housing, Inc
- YM&YWHA of Washington Heights & Inwood
- YWCA of Brooklyn
This content has been prepared for general information purposes only. It is not meant to provide legal advice and should not be acted upon without consulting a legal professional. If you have any questions or require additional information regarding this or other matters, please contact VOLS. This may be considered legal advertising pursuant to the rules of professional conduct.
