Legal Help
There are many resources to help you plan for when you may be unable to take care of yourself including a useful Tool Kit from the American Bar Association.
Legal issues facing older adults aging in place can range from general issues affecting any age group, like taxes, to more specialized topics, such as elder abuse, wills and estate planning, the sale of the family home, end of life planning, and how to file a complaint about insurance or long-term care.
The Virginia State Bar Association has a comprehensive Senior Virginians Handbook (written by lawyers) for older adults, caregivers, and families to help them make the right choices related to legal issues. It is free online but you can also order a free printed copy or call the Virginia State Bar at (804) 775-0586.
The Virginia State Bar also provides resources and publications on topics like bankruptcy, a guide for free or low cost legal services, healthcare decision-making, and wills, to name a few.
Adult Protective Services
Advance Directives
Disability Rights and Resources
Elder Abuse
Elder Mediation
Fairfax Lawyers
Financial Caregivers
Elder Law Attorneys
End of Life Planning
Free Tax Preparation (AARP)
Funerals
Health Care Advance Planning
Legal Aid
Legal Help for the Neediest
Legal Information and Resources
Long Term Care Ombudsman
Managing Someone Else’s Money
Older Drivers
Power of Attorney
Silver Shield (Anti Scam)
Voter Registration
Adult Protective Services
Fairfax County Adult Protective Services (APS) receives and investigates reports of abuse, neglect or exploitation of adults. It may provide case management such as helping older and incapacitated adults become as self-sufficient as possible or find appropriate nursing home placement. (703) 324-7450 TTY 711/888-832-3858 (24 hour number)
If hoarding is an issue, you may want to contact APS or county code enforcement, especially if it is a violation of a building code that may affect quality of life.
For an event related to domestic or sexual violence even if it happened in the past, Fairfax County offers a Domestic and Sexual Violence hotline. (703) 360-7273
Advance Directives
An advance directive is a written statement of your wishes regarding medical treatment especially if you are no longer able to communicate them or make decisions. There are many examples available online. Virginia Legislative Information System (a downloadable PDF is available here) and the Virginia State Bar offer free examples. You do not need an attorney to create one nor do you need a notary or witnesses.
Disability Rights and Resources
Fairfax County Disability Rights and Resources offers information, assistance and referrals for those with disabilities concerning assistive technology, housing and transportation. (703) 324-7948 TTY 711
Elder Mediation
Elder mediation provides a forum for family decision-making for some aging transitions and hard-to-handle topics. It is private, confidential, and completely voluntary. Meetings are informal and are held in locations which meet the family's needs, including private homes and mediators' offices, as well as virtually. The National Care Planning Council offers resources on finding a mediator, funeral pre-planning, tips for veterans, and hospice care, among other topics.
End of Life Planning
AARP has an affordable book that leads you step-by-step through organizing the information your family will need when and if you are unable to do it yourself or you’ve passed away. Developed with the American Bar Association, Checklist for My Family: A Guide to My History, Financial Plans, and Final Wishes, Second Edition is available for purchase online from the American Bar Association (which offers an AARP discount), Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and elsewhere.
This handy resource will guide you through the process of gathering in one place your finances, legal documents, online accounts, wishes about medical care, and more. You may also check out our End of Life Planning section for more resources.
Fairfax Lawyers
Fairfax Bar Association Lawyer Referral Service can help find a local attorney to meet your legal needs. For example, there are lawyers who specialize in wills, estate planning, and probate as well as those who work on government benefits. It is recommended that you use a Virginia attorney to draft a power of attorney if you live in Reston. (703) 246-3780
Elder Law Attorneys
The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) are attorneys who are experienced and trained in working with the legal problems of older Americans and individuals of all ages with disabilities. Such attorneys can be especially helpful in planning to pay for long term care. To find an attorney, enter your zip code and desired language.
Elder Abuse
To learn more about the issue, visit the National Council on Aging’s Get the Facts on Elder Abuse.
Similarly the National Institute on Aging has an infographic and other tools to spot elder abuse.
The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has a list of resources that may be helpful if you are concerned about elder abuse.
Financial Caregivers
The federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau publishes Considering a Financial Caregiver? Know Your Options. It has good information about what to consider if you may need a financial caregiver at some point when you might not be able to manage your money because of a health problem or memory issues.
Free Tax Preparation
AARP Foundation Tax-Aide provides in-person tax assistance free of charge to anyone, with a special focus on taxpayers who are 50 or older or who have low to moderate income. This includes free federal and Virginia tax return preparation and e-filing at the Reston Community Center. Check the site for dates of operation and how to book an appointment. For other sites in Northern Virginia, you can visit AARP’s webpage for locations. If you are outside of Northern Virginia, search their tool for locations and services where you live.
The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program offers free tax help to people who generally make $69,000 or less, persons with disabilities, the elderly and limited English speaking taxpayers who need assistance in preparing their own tax returns. IRS-certified volunteers provide free basic income tax return preparation. In Fairfax County, see the list of sites and hours. IRS trained and certified volunteers are available at 15 sites throughout Northern Virginia. (703) 533-5400 (TTY 711) or (800) 906-9887
You may also go directly to the IRS tool to identify VITA locations.
Funerals
Funerals can be difficult to plan for and implement especially in a crisis or when emotions are especially high. However, there are resources available locally and nationally that provide clearheaded guidance, options, and checklists.
FuneralBasics.org is a comprehensive resource for reliable planning and informative articles. They also offer a two-page Funeral Planning Checklist for download or printing.
Fairfax County’s Golden Gazette has an informative article on funeral options (traditional, non-traditional, and other).
The Virginia Funeral Directors Association offers a consumer resources page that includes a checklist about what to do immediately following the death of a loved one as well as a checklist for one month after their death.
The Federal Trade Commission provides information on your rights related to various aspects of funeral planning. For those who see funeral planning as an extension of will and estate planning, the FTC has an article on Planning Your Own Funeral.
While there is currently no funeral home or cemetery in Reston, there are several in surrounding communities.
Legal Aid
Legal Services of Northern Virginia (LSNV) is the largest legal aid organization in Northern Virginia, helping thousands of clients with limited income and resources each year in civil legal matters. LSNV partners with other legal aid organizations, state and local bar associations, as well as the courts to serve the region’s neediest populations.
Areas of assistance include elder law; consumer law; family law; public benefits disputes regarding Social Security, SSDI, or Supplemental Security Income (SSI) as well as help with wills or advance directives.
Contact LSNV to get assistance or call (703) 778-6800.
Legal Information and Resources
The Virginia State Bar has a Senior Virginians Handbook online that is comprehensive in its coverage of legal issues confronting older Virginians. It lists many contacts and resources. The English version was last updated in 2025. Download a Spanish version here (translated from the 2021 English version).
Legal Help for the Neediest
The Virginia Department of Aging and Rehabilitative Services focuses on serving seniors in the greatest need on medical-social issues identified under the Older Americans Act. Priority is given to legal matters relating to:
Public benefits and income issues
Long-term care
Housing
Age discrimination
Health care
Nutrition
Utilities
Alternatives to guardianship
Protective services
Abuse, neglect, and financial exploitation
The Statewide Senior Legal Helpline is a toll-free, state-wide, legal information, advice and referral service for Virginians age 60 years and older. The helpline is administered by the Virginia Poverty Law Center. Call: (844) 802-5910.
The Virginia Lawyer Referral Service (VLRS), a Virginia Bar Association initiative, will schedule an initial meeting with an attorney on many legal matters for a $35 fee. VLRS also refers individuals, when appropriate, at no charge to other government and social service organizations when a private attorney is not required. Call: (800) 552-7977 or visit: https://www.vsb.org/Site/legal-help/vlrs.aspx
Virginia Law Help is a “public library” for legal information in Virginia. Its tools and information help you understand and manage your legal issues. A search feature is available that will identify legal providers in the state (by city/county) who offer free legal assistance on civil matters for those with limited income and resources. Or call: (866) 534-5243.
Long Term Care Ombudsman
If there are problems with a nursing home, Fairfax County’s Ombudsman Program can help resolve them. Staffed by volunteers, it is funded by the federal Older Americans Act. (703) 324-5861, TTY 711 or email NVLTCOP@fairfaxcounty.gov
Managing Someone Else’s Money
The federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau offers free guides that helps a guardian, trustee, government fiduciary or someone with power of attorney manage money or property for a loved one who’s unable to make financial decisions or pay bills.
Older Drivers
Virginia DMV provides a resource page for mature drivers. Most importantly, if you are a Virginia driver aged 75 or older, you must appear in person at the Department of Motor Vehicles at your next license renewal. Once issued, your license will generally be valid for five years. (804) 497-7100
Older Drivers – The National Institute on Aging provides information for older drivers or those who care for them about when it may be a good time to stop driving.
Power of Attorney
There are many Power of Attorney types. In general, it’s a legal document that authorizes a person or persons to act on behalf of another person or entity. Powers of attorney may be general or specific such as a durable power of attorney. The Virginia State Bar and the Central Virginia Legal Aid Society provide good overviews. Several websites offer free forms, but it is a good idea to consult an attorney.
Silver Shield
Silver Shield is Fairfax County’s anti-scam campaign that shares critical information to help older adults avoid being scammed. You can report scams and unlicensed solicitors to the Fairfax County Police Non-Emergency line at (703) 691-2131 or TTY 711.
Voter Registration
The Citizen Portal on the Virginia Department of Elections is the resource to use to apply for or update your voter registration as well as find sample ballots and voting locations.