January 2017
Stephanie M. Kay testified before the Assembly Judiciary Committee on behalf of the New Jersey State Bar Association and the New Jersey Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA) in opposition to the Peter Falk Bill. The proposed bill would have made changes to a guardian’s ability to limit visitation by certain persons and contained fee shifting provisions if a legal challenge was brought under the proposed statute. As a direct result of Stephanie’s testimony, the bill has not progressed further in its current form.
November 2016
Stephanie M. Kay was selected to the 2017 New Jersey Super Lawyers list issued by Thompson Reuters. A description of the selection methodology can be found at www.superlawyers.com/about/selection_process_detail.html. No aspect of this advertisement has been approved by the Supreme Court of New Jersey.
September 2016
Stephanie M. Kay began her tenure as Chairperson of the Elder Law and Disability Section of the New Jersey State Bar Association for the 2016-2017 term. She was re-elected to a second term as a Trustee of the New Jersey Chapter of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys (NAELA).
June 2016
The Kay Law Firm successfully reduced a $348,427 Medicaid penalty to $40,533 through the appeals process. After full hearing and briefing by Marisol Perez, the Administrative Law Judge determined that $278,868.47 of money at issue held in a joint account belonged solely to the son and not the nursing home resident. The Director was unable to dispute the correctness of the Administrative Law Judge’s finding and upheld the determination. Unfortunately, although the Administrative Law Judge also found that the remaining $69,559 was improperly subject to a penalty, the Director remanded the case back to the County for further fact finding on how those funds were used during the look back period. Upon remand, Marisol Perez demonstrated sufficient proofs such that the County further reduced the penalty by $29,026 and the parties thereafter settled the matter to minimize additional legal expenses and allow the facility to begin receiving payment from Medicaid.
June 2016
On June 1, 2016, Stephanie M. Kay was one of four members of the NJ State Bar Association who testified before the Supreme Court Civil Practice Committee on the Committee’s proposed Amendments to New Jersey Court Rules. Among the recommendations by the Committee were significant changes to the Court Rules that govern guardianship practices across the State. Each of the attorneys who testified was asked to do so by the NJ State Bar Association due to their experience in the relevant area of law and leadership role in the Association. The public hearing is an opportunity for lawyers and laypeople to participate in the process to change the rules that govern the State Court System.
April 2016
The 18th Annual Elder Law Retreat, sponsored by the NJ State Bar Association’s Elder and Disability Law Section, drew over 100 attorneys from all over the State to attend the two day event at the Crystal Springs Resort in Vernon, NJ. As Vice-Chair of the Elder Law and Disability Section, Stephanie M. Kay coordinated the event and all content. Among the program highlights was a lively panel discussion involving Marisol Perez entitled “Ethical Considerations in the Medicaid Application Process and the Unauthorized Practice of Law.”
March 2016
As President of the Guardianship Association of New Jersey (GANJI), Marisol Perez organized and chaired the committee responsible for planning the annual guardianship conference. Held at the Forsgate Country Club, the event was attended by over 125 people including attorneys, geriatric care managers and social workers and marks the return of the conference after a 3 year hiatus. Stephanie M. Kay was a panelist discussing “Divergent POA and Guardianships” with the Honorable Margaret Mary McVeigh, P.J.Ch., Passaic County and Mercer County Deputy Surrogate Harry P. O’Malley, Esq.
