Bill > S04101

This bill amends the Judiciary Law to standardize compensation for court-appointed counsel in supreme and surrogate's courts handling certain family matters. Specifically, the bill changes how attorneys are paid when appointed to cases that could have originally been handled by family court, such as child-related proceedings. Under the proposed change, these attorneys will now be compensated and reimbursed for expenses using the same rate schedule established in Section 245 of the Family Court Act, which currently governs law guardians (attorneys appointed to represent children's interests) in family court. This means attorneys appointed in higher courts will receive the same financial treatment as those working in family court for similar types of cases. The bill will take effect immediately and apply to both existing and new legal proceedings, ensuring consistent compensation standards across different court levels when dealing with family-related legal matters.

Justice

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S4101