Senior Citizens’ Law Office is staffed by attorneys who will provide free legal advice and representation where needed to address a legal problem.
SCLO Legal Services
We offer the following free services to seniors age 60 and over:
- Healthcare: Rectification of improper billing by healthcare providers, health insurance disputes, denials of coverage, and advice about Medicaid and Medicare programs; Veterans Affairs; health care powers of attorney. Learn more about our Health Care Rights project.
- Public benefits: Help with food stamps, Medicaid, veteran’s benefits, Social Security and SSI.
- Housing: Foreclosure defense and prevention, eviction defense and prevention, landlord-tenant problems, public and section 8 housing assistance, and reverse equity mortgage.
- Advance directives: Health Care and Financial powers of attorney, cremation authorizations. Learn more about the advance directives we provide for free to seniors.
- Financial Well Being: Financial exploitation prevention and defense, consumer matters, financial powers of attorney, debt collection, identity theft and prevention, social security, supplemental security income (SSI), veterans affairs, civil service, and railroad retirement benefits, and other public benefits programs.
- Guardianships: guardian ad litem appointments for allegedly incapacitated seniors.
- Consumer Support: We address issues of debt collection, unfair trade practices, lemon law, billing disputes, predatory lending.
- Long Term Care: protecting the individual rights of nursing home and assisted living residents.
Eligibility Requirements
To receive free services from SCLO, you must meet all of the following requirements:
- 60 years of age and over
- Live in Bernalillo, Sandoval, Torrance, or Valencia counties
- The services you need fall within the legal counsel we provide
- Your case may demonstrate the vulnerability of all seniors to core issues of concern
- Your income level is within the limits stipulated by our donors
NOTE: SCLO determines a client’s eligibility for our free legal services after we interview the client either in person or over the telephone
Sometimes we will suggest that you consult with a private attorney if your case is not within our priorities.
Cases We Do Not Handle
SCLO does not take cases related to:
- Grandparent visitation disputes
- Grandparent guardianships (please contact Pegasus Legal Services instead)
- Grandparent adoptions (please contact the State Bar Lawyer Referral for the Elderly Program)
- Domestic relations including divorce, alimony and enforcement of divorce decrees
- Criminal defense
- Medical malpractice
- Car accidents
- Neighbor disputes
Contact Us
If you are interested in receiving services please call us at (505) 265-2300. Our offices are located at 1240 Pennsylvania St NE, Albuquerque, NM 87110.
Office hours are 8:30am to noon and 1pm to 5pm, Monday through Thursday, and 8:30 am to noon on Friday. SCLO observes all federal holiday closures and is closed from December 24 through January 1.
Please call to make an appointment. If you drop by without an appointment you will not get to meet with a lawyer immediately since we are still practicing safe health restrictions. We recommend that you call first and do an intake with our office receptionist/intake person and arrange a time to bring in your legal paperwork and leave a copy for a lawyer to review.
