SALT LAKE CITY — Older adults who may be dealing with legal trouble or fraud now have a new free online tool to help them spot those problems early.
It’s not always easy to tell when a problem is actually a legal one. Issues involving debt, housing, scams, or important paperwork can sneak up on people. The Legal Risk Detector is meant to make that a little easier to sort through.
The tool's design and purpose
Nels Holmgren leads Aging and Adult Services for the state and oversees the Legal Risk Detector, a web-based legal health “check-up” tool.
“It's really designed for older people to look at their situation and look at the risks that they may be facing with regard to legal issues, to fraud,” said Holmgren.
Holmgren also said for a lot of older adults, the hardest part is simply knowing where to start.
“I think in a lot of situations, they weren't getting those questions answered.”
How the assessment works
When you log onto the site you will be asked simple questions about your situation: Do you rent or own? Are you worried about your privacy?
As you answer, the tool adjusts along the way. And if you’re worried about privacy, Holmgren said it does not store anyone’s personal information.
Connecting users with legal aid
If the tool spots a possible legal issue, they’ll refer you to Utah Legal Services.
“We reach out in three business days, and we collect some more information,” said Keenan Carroll with Utah Legal Services.
From there they’ll determine if they can provide legal assistance for issues affecting their housing, healthcare, benefits, financial exploitation, and family life.
“If you're 60 years and older, you automatically qualify for our services,” said Caroll.
And this service is free of charge.
“If you think you're in a situation where you're not certain how to make a choice, reach out for help,” said Caroll.
State leaders said it’s part of a broader push to help older adults get ahead of potential problems.
“… Just like we have great screening tools for our health now and opportunities to get a better sense of how we're doing, this is really that same sort of tool, but for their legal and financial situation,” said Holmgren.
The free assessment takes less than 15 minutes and again, your private information is not stored.
To take the assessment you can visit, https://probononet.neotalogic.com/a/utah-risk-detector or for more information visit, Utah Legal Services at https://www.utahlegalservices.org.
Related: AARP’s tips for avoiding holiday fraud and scams
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