JUDICIARY LAW 487 ACTION AGAINST ATTORNEYS, ALLEGING AN INTENTION TO DECEIVE THE COURT IN A DIVORCE PROCEEDING, PROPERLY DISMISSED (SECOND DEPT).
The Second Department determined the suit against plaintiff’s divorce attorneys alleging a violation of Judiciary Law 487 was properly dismissed, both because of the failure to prove an intent to deceive the court, and the failure to prove pecuniary damage:
Judiciary Law § 487(1) provides that “[a]n attorney or counselor who . . . [i]s guilty of any deceit or collusion, or consents to any deceit or collusion, with intent to deceive the court or any party . . . [i]s guilty of a misdemeanor, and in addition to the punishment prescribed therefor by the penal law, he [or she] forfeits to the party injured treble damages, to be recovered in a civil action.” “A violation of Judiciary Law § 487 requires an intent to deceive” … Here, the evidence adduced at trial, including the testimony of [plaintiff’s attorney], supports the trial court’s determination that [the attorney] did not act with the requisite “intent to deceive the court or any party” in applying for the receivership … .
In any event, to succeed on a cause of action to recover damages under Judiciary Law § 487, the plaintiff must demonstrate that he or she “suffered . . . damages which were proximately caused by the deceit allegedly perpetrated on him [or her] or on the court” … . The evidence adduced at trial also supports the trial court’s conclusion that the plaintiff failed to establish that she suffered pecuniary damages as a result of the alleged deceit. Dupree v Voorhees, 2017 NY Slip Op 06062, Second Dept 8-9-17
ATTORNEYS (JUDICIARY LAW 487 ACTION AGAINST ATTORNEYS, ALLEGING AN INTENTION TO DECEIVE THE COURT IN A DIVORCE PROCEEDING, PROPERLY DISMISSED (SECOND DEPT))/JUDICIARY LAW 487 (ATTORNEYS, JUDICIARY LAW 487 ACTION AGAINST ATTORNEYS, ALLEGING AN INTENTION TO DECEIVE THE COURT IN A DIVORCE PROCEEDING, PROPERLY DISMISSED (SECOND DEPT))