The Postgraduate Programme in Elder Law explores the most relevant legal and regulatory issues affecting older persons.

In the United States, Elder Law features widely as an elective in law schools and benefits from extensive scholarly output. In Europe, particularly in Portugal, this field remains comparatively underdeveloped, leaving a significant gap in academic debate and professional practice. This programme seeks to bridge that gap.

Designed for lawyers and legal professionals, social workers, community facilitators [social animators], gerontologists, psychologists and general practitioners, the programme offers a cross-cutting view that spans multiple branches of law. Core topics include:

• loss of legal capacity due to illness or ageing and the legal mechanisms to safeguard those affected;
• estate planning and the disposition of assets on death;
• protection against abuse in family and institutional settings;
• and the understanding and application of specific tax and social security frameworks relevant to older adults.

Programme Aims

The course aims to provide an integrated and in-depth understanding of the main legal issues affecting older people, while also considering their philosophical, sociological, gerontological, and medical dimensions.

Participants are expected to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to deal effectively with the challenges that arise in their professional practice and/or to pursue further studies in the areas of law covered by the programme.

Target Audience

This programme is designed for legal professionals, social workers, community facilitators [social animators], gerontologists, psychologists and general practitioners who wish to enhance their understanding of the legal and ethical dimensions of ageing and to strengthen their ability to address the rights and needs of older persons.

In collaboration with