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Existing Guardians Ad Litem
In General
Payment Procedure and Forms
Community Resources
Court Forms
Practical Workshop Series
GAL Case Summary Form
In General
Thank you for your dedication to serving some of New York City's most vulnerable people (namely, physically and mentally impaired people facing an eviction proceeding in Housing Court). If you wish to find out information on how to obtain payment upon completion of an APS case, print relevant court forms or forms necessary to obtain payment, learn more about community resources, or view information on past and upcoming Practical Workshop Series Topics, you may do so from this site.
If you need additional information, feel free to call or send an email to Denise Colón‑Greenaway, Esq., LMSW, Special Counsel for Court‑Based Interdisciplinary Programs, at (646) 386‑5400 or at GALCivil@courts.state.ny.us.

Payment Procedure and Forms
The Human Resources Administration (HRA) agrees to compensate
Guardians Ad Litem (GALs) pursuant to a Court order when HRA petitions
the Court for the appointment of a GAL for, in most instances,
an Adult Protective Services (APS) client. Compensation is also
rendered when the Court makes a sua sponte appointment for a tenant
who is an existing APS client. Compensation is fixed at $600 which
GALs are entitled to upon completion of the case. Cases where APS
is not involved are considered pro-bono and, as such, receive no
compensation.
In order to ensure that payment is forthcoming, the Guardian Ad
Litem must provide HRA with the following required documents:
1. A W-9 Federal Tax Form
2. Invoice and Verification
3. Order of Appointment
4. Affirmation or Affidavit of Services
A W-9 Federal Tax Form: This form must be submitted the first
time a GAL submits a request for payment to HRA. This form does
not have to be submitted in subsequent requests except when the
GAL changes their address or their taxpayer Identification number.
To print a copy of this form, please go to the W-9
Federal Tax Form.
Invoice and Verification: These are forms generated by HRA that
must be
submitted each time a GAL requests payment from HRA. To print a
copy of these forms, please go to Invoice
and Verification.
Order of Appointment: GALs must submit the Court Order appointing
them. That Order must contain language stating that the Department
of Social Services agrees to pay the GAL a specific fee for services
rendered as a GAL. This Order must be signed and dated by the Court.
Affirmation or Affidavit of Services: Section 1204 of the CPLR
requires the GAL to file either an Affirmation or Affidavit of
Services with the Court. Attorneys file an Affirmation of Services.
Non-attorneys file an Affidavit of Services, which must be notarized.
HRA, in turn, requires that a copy of this Affirmation or Affidavit
of Services be included in all requests for payments by GALs to
HRA. To print a sample copy of these forms, please go to Affirmation
of Services or Affidavit
of Services. Please note that these are
samples. Therefore, you may use whichever form is relevant to you
as a template in composing your own form.
All forms should be forwarded to:
Irving Martinez
Human Resources Administration
Office of Legal Affairs
180 Water Street-16th Floor
New York, NY 10038
(212) 331-5032

Community Resources
Websites of interest
The following is a list of websites that provide excellent information
on what to expect in Housing Court, details of nonpayment and holdover
cases, and other procedural information.
NYS
Unified Court System's Court Help
Civil
Court of the City of New York
B Legal and Procedural Information (Housing)
LawHelp: Fact
sheets and booklets about legal rights
Office
of the NYS Attorney General:
Tenant's Rights Guide
NYS
Department of Housing and Community
Renewal ("DHCR")
NYC
Rent Guidelines Board/Housing Resources
NYC
Department of Housing Preservation and Development ("HPD")
FAQ about Marshals and Evictions:
marshal
evictions
marshal
judgments
NYC
Department of Buildings: certificate of occupancy,
violations
NYC
Department of Finance: owner information
Rent Stabilization
Association (RSA):
largest trade association
in New York City representing 25,000 property owners/agents
responsible for approximately one million units of housing.
Mediation
Referrals
Benefits
for Seniors: Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption
Disability
Rent Increase Exemption ("DRIE"):
offers qualifying renters with disabilities exemptions
from rent increases. Run by NYC Department
of Finance.
NYC
Bar Association B
Legal Help for the Public
Tenant.Net
City-Wide
Task Force on Housing Court
NYU
Furman Center's List of Affordable Housing Organizations in
NYC
Met
Council on Housing
Legal Referral List
Civil Court of the City of New York
Help Centers
Guardians Ad Litem are also encouraged to visit any one of the
various Housing Court Help Centers. There, GALs may be able
to obtain legal guidance and information from a Court Attorney
experienced in landlord-tenant law. For more information on where
each respective borough Help Center is located can be found at
Help Centers.

Court Forms
Housing court forms can be found at the clerk’s office in
each courthouse or online.

Practical Workshop Series
The Practical Skills Workshop Series consists of monthly workshops
designed to supplement initial training provided to GALs and address
issues relevant to their work.
Workshops are facilitated by guest speakers who are experts in
the respective topic. The workshops physically take place at 111
Centre Street. However, for convenience purposes, they are also
offered via video conference at the various courthouses.
For information on the next workshop being offered, please refer to GAL Practical Skills Workshop Series.
To obtain the handouts to workshops offered in the past, please
refer to the relevant title below:
• What
All GALs Should Know About Article 81 Guardianship
• How
to Prepare for Trial
• Working
with Mentally Ill or "Difficult" Clients
• Heavy
Duty Cleanings: Parameters, Guidelines & Strategies
for Working With Clients Who Exhibit Hoarding Behavior
• NYCHA
Administrative Procedures and Practices
• APS
Operations and Referrals
• Understanding
Section 8
• Identifying
Elder Abuse
• GAL Practice Issues: Ask Your Fellow GAL
• What makes a person "Article 81able"?
• Immigration Status and Public Benefits Eligibility
• Issues of Legal Importance Concerning Section 8
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