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In its annual recognition of its volunteers, the Senior Law Project chose this year to honor two Portland attorneys. Briefly Legal talked with co-recipient Elizabeth Lemoine last week. This week, we feature a conversation with her fellow honoree, Jon Fritzler.

For more than a decade, Jon Fritzler has practiced elder law as an attorney with Portland-based Davis Pagnano McNeil & Vigna. Despite a busy caseload at work, Fritzler chooses to volunteer his time and expertise to helping seniors as well.

Fritzler, co-recipient of this year鈥檚 Senior Law Project Volunteer of the Year Award, began volunteering for SLP in 2000. Operated by Legal Aid Services of Oregon, SLP has provided legal aid to seniors since 1978. Volunteer attorneys meet with seniors during 30-minute sessions held at nine senior centers throughout Multnomah County.

Neighborhood House鈥檚 Southwest Senior Center is where Fritzler meets with his pro bono clients each month. Cases that present an intellectual challenge prove the most rewarding, he says.

For example, one of Fritzler鈥檚 clients had rented a car while her鈥檚 was being repaired. The rental car company told her she could return the car to the repair shop and they would pick it up.聽After retrieving the car, however, the rental company claimed Fritzler鈥檚 client had damaged the car and tried to charge her for it, even though it wasn鈥檛 damaged when she dropped it off. Fritzler succeeded in getting the rental company to drop its claim.

鈥淎nother client was in a dispute with an adult foster home after she moved her 91-year-old mother out of the home because her mother was being verbally abused by one of the employees and receiving sub-standard care,鈥� he says. 鈥淭he adult foster home was demanding payment from my client because they claimed 30 days notice had not been given. I was able to get the foster home to drop the claim.鈥�

Fritzler, whose father was an attorney, says he specializes in elder law because it鈥檚 less adversarial than other practice types. He also appreciates being able to make a difference in his clients鈥� lives.

鈥淲hether helping them to resolve a dispute with a creditor, a consumer law issue, or to create an estate plan, my services can often help resolve a matter that has been weighing on them heavily and can have a significant impact on their lives,鈥� he says.

The recession has added to the stress many seniors feel, particularly when it comes to paying for health care and long-term care, Fritzler notes.

鈥淧roviding affordable health and long-term care to an aging population was already a huge challenge, and the recession obviously added to the difficulty.聽I think that the economic downturn has also increased the amount of elder financial abuse that is occurring,鈥� he says.