Page 5 - Katten 2021 Pro Bono Annual Review

Hungarian Women Found to Be Rightful Heirs
of Holocaust Survivor

One of the more challenging matters resolved over the last year involved genealogical
detective work crossing borders and wars.

The case involved a New York man whose estate was being handled by the New
York County Public Administrator, which sought court approval and direction on
dispersing assets. Two women in Hungary received notice of the hearing but
couldn’t afford counsel or travel costs to appear in New York. New York Private
Wealth associate Christina Romero, with assistance from Private Wealth partner
Neil Carbone, stepped in to represent the women pro bono.

Proving lineage was made difficult because necessary birth and death records were
either nonexistent or scattered during the Holocaust. To prove that the clients, a
half-sister and a niece from a predeceased sister, were the man’s closest living heirs,
Christina and Neil sought testimony of disinterested persons who could prove the
man’s family tree.

The challenge proved greater in part because the New Yorker was a loner who
hardly spoke about his family with his one longtime friend.

Christina and Neil resorted to gather-
ing as much documentary evidence as
they could find. Because many
documents were nonexistent or
scattered during the Holocaust, the Following a New York
attorneys collected materials from County Surrogate’s Court
several different countries. Records kinship hearing and
included birth and death certificates of post-hearing briefs, the
other family members, as well as a
document from the Budapest Jewish court rejected other claims
Community stating that the man’s and found the women were
brother was killed in the Holocaust.
the sole heirs. Each were
entitled to collect half of a
$65,000 estate, a welcome

sum for the clients.

KATTEN 2021 PRO BONO ANNUAL REVIEW 3
KATTEN 2021 PRO BONO ANNUAL REVIEW