Pro Bono Client Obtains Guardianship Order

A New York State Supreme Court judge granted our petition on behalf of a pro bono client, allowing her to become the guardian of her elderly sister under Article 81 of the New York State Mental Hygiene Law.

Our client’s sister suffered a debilitating stroke in September 2015 which left her unable to manage her own personal and financial affairs. Shortly after, she learned that the Power of Attorney document her sister had previously attempted to execute in her name was legally deficient. She sought help from Volunteers of Legal Service (VOLS) Elderly Project, which referred the case to Paul, Weiss in 2016. The Paul, Weiss team researched and drafted a guardianship petition, obtained interim relief in the form of a temporary guardianship order and successfully presented her case at an evidentiary hearing. The judge found that the petitioner proved that her sister was incapacitated and that the petitioner should serve indefinitely as guardian. Our client will now be able to make important health care decisions for her sister, as well as help maintain her sister’s eligibility for government benefits such as Medicaid and Section 8 housing vouchers.  

The Paul, Weiss team included litigation associates Daniel Sinnreich, who conducted the hearing, and Benjamin Bergmann. They were supervised by litigation partner Gregory Laufer.