About Twyla Sketchley

“Be the change that you wish to see in the world,” Mahatma Gandhi.

Attorney Twyla Sketchley is no stranger to making changes.

Twyla has received multiple awards for her contributions to her community, the practice of law individuals and individuals in need.  Her legal career is a shining record of advocacy and action with example after example of solving the most complicated elder law issues facing our nation today.  She is sought out by the community, state and national leaders for answers on the toughest challenges.  Even her own peer group of legal elite recognize her every year as one of Florida’s Super Lawyers and Florida’s Legal Elite.

She is the national authority on abuse, neglect, and exploitation of elders and people with disabilities. A recognized expert in the courtroom and formidable attorney in these areas, Twyla’s voice is clear and direct when educating others on the rule of law and the unknown and unaddressed responsibilities owed to a vulnerable population.  “We’ve reached a point in our society where you can make a difference by talking about the needs of others. We see awareness increasing every day for victim groups like children and animals because more and more people are sharing their experiences. But we still accept silence when it comes to talking about the very real harm done to elders and people with disabilities. I’m here to change that.”

For Twyla, the goal is bringing the whole community and all its resources together to protect the most vulnerable members.  The consequences of allowing it to continue are catastrophic.  While headlines may give a glimpse of the monetary impact on elders who are exploited or the physical impact of a horrific abuse, seldom do they provide an accurate picture of the damage.  Because of the culture of silence society fosters with regard to the maltreatment of elders and people with disabilities (abuse, neglect and exploitation), society does not truly face its devastation.

Twyla Sketchley is the Voice of the Vulnerable.

“In my Elder Law career it was never a decision of will I or will I not help these individuals. I simply did. There was a need and I knew I was equipped to meet that need. Are my cases fun? No. Are they rewarding? Sometimes. Most often, they’re not. I see people on their worst day. These victims don’t know they have rights. These people don’t have an advocate in their corner. Most of the time, it’s a loved one who perpetrated the crime on them so they are torn between being victimized or the prosecution of a loved one. Who wants to make that decision?”

Perhaps her compassion for the voiceless comes from her childhood in Montana where she is also a licensed Elder Law Attorney. She grew up the daughter of a ranch mechanic.  “I was raised in a culture where you helped your neighbor because, at the end of the day, if you got stranded in a bad snow storm your decision not to help became a matter of life or death.” Perhaps her dedication to excellence is the result of years of representing seniors when they need it most.  Perhaps it’s the result of a drive to make a difference that so few possess.

Or maybe it’s the combination of all these things that make Twyla the nation’s leading legal expert in the area of maltreatment of elders, abuse, neglect and exploitation.

“It’s time we talk about this. It’s time we change the conversation. We can create an educated society that is intolerant of the crimes against elders and people with disabilities.”

Until that day comes, we are lucky to have Twyla and The Sketchley Method she has created to arm us with the information we need to make a difference in our communities.