THE RECORD ON APPEAL DID NOT SUPPORT FAMILY COURT’S RULING MOTHER HAD FORFEITED HER RIGHT TO COUNSEL IN THIS TERMINATION-OF-PARENTAL-RIGHTS PROCEEDING (SECOND DEPT).

The Second Department, reversing Family Court, determined the record on appeal did not support Family Court’s ruling mother had forfeited her right to counsel in this termination-of-parental-rights proceeding.

​… Family Court granted a second application by the mother’s assigned counsel to be relieved and determined that the mother had forfeited her right to be assigned new counsel. The court’s determination was based upon, among other things, “suspicions” that the mother had been “involved” in a recent security compromise of the assigned counsel’s computer. The court also cited as a basis for its determination the fact that, over the course of the child protective proceeding and this proceeding, the mother had a total of three attorneys assigned to represent her or to act as her legal advisor. The record on appeal does not reflect how long the prior assigned attorneys represented the mother or why they ceased representing her. * * *

A respondent in a proceeding pursuant to Social Services Law § 384-b has the right to the assistance of counsel … . A party may forfeit the fundamental right to counsel by engaging in “‘egregious conduct,'” but only as a matter of “‘extreme, last resort'” … . Here, the record fails to clearly reflect that the mother engaged in the sort of egregious conduct that would justify a finding that she forfeited her right to assigned counsel … .

The deprivation of the mother’s right to counsel requires reversal without regard to the merits of her position … . Matter of Sa’Nai F. B. M. A. (Chaniece T.), 2024 NY Slip Op 05440, Second Dept 11-6-24

Practice Point: Consult this decision for some insight into the criteria for finding a party in a termination-of-parental-rights proceeding has forfeited the right to counsel.​