My Articles on Tech-enhanced Life

Dignity and Autonomy vs Protection

Elder Dignity, Autonomy and the Need for Protection from Abuse

Dignity of the elder must not be disregarded in the name of protection: whether we are dealing with the difficult issues of how to convince dad to give up the car keys, mom’s need for placement in a facility, or fear of money being improperly acquired by a scammer. The question posed is how to maximize the preservation of dignity in the face of true need for protection of the elder? This article addresses the issue as it relates to financial abuse of elders, but the principles are equally applicable in other situations.


My Background:

Attorney David G. Knitter practices in the area of trusts and estates litigation.  He is a member of the Executive Committee for the Trusts and Estates Section of the State Bar of California (TEXCOM).  He is a Past President of the Solano County Bar Association (SCBA) and was honored as Attorney of the Year in 2006.  Mr. Knitter has presented locally and nationally for organizations including California Continuing Education of the Bar, the California Administrative Office of the Courts, National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA), LAS, Elder Financial Protection Network, several county bar associations, civic and professional groups.

Mr. Knitter was honored by the State of California and other political bodies for his contributions to elder abuse.  He was featured as one of “NAELA’s litigators,” appearing on the cover of the NAELA News and is a former member of the NAELA Advocacy and Litigation Section Committee.

Mr. Knitter has over 20 years of litigation expertise including trust and probate litigation, claims and defense of undue influence and financial elder abuse, and contested conservatorships.

Learn more about me:

https://www.knitterlaw.com/