About

Elder Law for Our Future

Demographic trends show a significant rise in the number of older people in Australia - a trend expected to continue in coming decades. Issues such as  retirement incomes and estate planning,  health and housing needs, the importance of substitute decision making and access to justice, make the need for expert analysis in elder law more pressing than ever. Elder Law at UWS is responding to this challenge with research that is sensitive to the needs and interests of older people in our community. We also publish the Elder Law Review, Australia's only journal dedicated to elder law.

We have as our mission to advance and promote awareness of the legal interests of older people in the Australian community. Our academics and researchers implement this vision through a range of programs which include:-

• Community education;
• Consultancies;
• Teaching the subject elder law to law students;
• Conference and seminar presentations to the legal, medical and allied health professions;
• Staff development and training within the aged care sector;
• Research; and
• Publication of the Elder Law Review.

Professional Expertise

Professor Carolyn Sappideen is the Director of Elder Law at UWS. She has published numerous articles in national and international journals and co-authored several books. She has extensive academic experience in a range of subjects including medical malpractice law, law and bioethics, torts and legal research and writing.

Sue Field is the inaugural Public Trustee New South Wales Fellow in Elder Law at the University of Western Sydney (and the only designated staff member of Elder Law at UWS). Sue's work involves consultancies, research, education and training in the emerging specialty of Elder Law.

Among her appointments Sue is a ministerial appointment to the NSW Ministerial Advisory Committee on Ageing, a member of the NSW Law Society Elder Law and Succession Committee and a Distinguished Fellow at the Canadian Centre for Elder Law.