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HRA: pilot for legal representation of domestic‑violence survivors not yet funded; legal groups seek smaller pilot and data baseline
Summary
Intro 11‑75 would create a program to provide legal representation to domestic‑violence survivors during divorce; witnesses said a Local Law 5 pilot remains unfunded and that a prior 2022 estimate pegged two‑year costs at $24 million.
The City Council considered Intro 11‑75 on June 3, which would establish a program to provide civil legal representation to survivors of domestic violence during divorce proceedings and require annual reporting by the Office of Civil Justice. HRA and DSS witnesses told the committee the city enacted Local Law 5 of 2022 to create a two‑year pilot but that funding for the pilot has not been allocated.
Administrator French said the pilot was estimated at $24 million over two years in 2022 and that the city has not yet appropriated those funds. "At this point the funds have not been able to be allocated for that pilot," French said, adding that DSS is in conversations with the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget about identifying funds. French cautioned that program design requires more data on contested matrimonial cases and the number of cases that involve domestic violence because that information would inform contracting decisions and whether the pilot focuses on full representation or brief assistance.
Legal services groups urged the Council to fund a pilot and provided a smaller cost estimate for an initial program. Laura Russell, Citywide Director of the Family Domestic Violence Unit at the Legal Aid Society, told the committee the Legal Aid Society and the New York Legal Assistance Group have proposed a $1.9 million pilot using Local Law 5 and that some of the data HRA requested does not exist in court records and can be reasonably extrapolated. "A divorce is a final step in the process of being free from abuse. Survivors need representation to be free from abuse," Russell said.
Her Justice and NILAG also supported a funded pilot, with recommendations that the pilot partner with experienced legal services organizations, be trauma‑informed and trauma‑informed legal representation, and be structured to collect data to evaluate how to expand services. NILAG recommended starting with a single‑borough pilot and building from there to reflect differences in case complexity and service delivery.
Council members pressed the administration on timing and whether the pilot would be funded in the current budget cycle; French said discussions with OMB were ongoing and that the local law had been subject to appropriation. Council members signaled willingness to pursue legislative or budget remedies if the pilot is not prioritized.
Ending: Legal advocates asked the Council to fund a pilot that leverages existing legal services expertise; DSS/HRA said it is reviewing procurement and funding options and will continue conversations with OMB and the Council on next steps and data needs.
