As Baltimore County?s senior population ? already one of the largest in the state ? ages, staff at its estates court said their workload soared almost 75 percent in the past decade.
The county?s Orphans Court, which validates wills, administers estates and handles inheritance disputes, held 284 formal hearings in 2005. That?s 74 percent more than in 1995, said Jeremy Henderson, the court?s judicial assistant and only full-time support staff member.
Residents also opened 44 percent more estates in the past 10 years, he said.
The court?s chief judge, Theresa Lawler, attributes the increase to the county?s baby boomer generation and an increasing number of luxury senior communities like Charlestown and Broadmead, making retirement in Baltimore County more attractive.
“Twenty or 30 years ago, folks moved South and retired in Florida or Georgia,” Lawler said. “More seniors now are opting to stay here and be closer to their children and grandchildren and stay in the community they lived and worked in.”
Seniors make up about 14 percent of the county?s population now, according to census figures, but that group is projected to grow to 22 percent by 2030.
To ease the workload, Lawler introduced a process this year that requires parties in some inheritance disputes to meet with a trained mediator before going to a formal hearing.
Mediation could save families time, money and emotional heartache, Lawler said.
