# Law Office of Peter A. Hurwitz, PLLC > A Rockland County, New York law firm founded in 1991 by Peter A. Hurwitz, practising > guardianship, landlord representation, foreclosure defense, estate law, real estate, > civil litigation and personal injury. Offices in New City and New York City, serving > Rockland, Westchester and Orange Counties and the five boroughs. Solo practitioner; > Mr. Hurwitz serves as a Court Examiner for guardianship matters in the Ninth Judicial > District of the New York Supreme Court, Second Department. ## Practice areas - [Practice Areas](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/practice-areas/): Index of the firm's seven practice areas with links to each pillar and its supporting pages. ## Guardianship - [Guardianship](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/guardianship-lawyer-rockland-county/): Overview of New York adult guardianship, the purpose of a guardianship, and the less restrictive alternatives a court considers first. - [Article 81 Guardianship](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/article-81-guardianship-lawyer/): Needs-based guardianship for adults under the Mental Hygiene Law — who qualifies, who may petition, who may serve as guardian, and the six-stage court process. - [Article 17-A Guardianship](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/article-17-a-guardianship-lawyer/): Status-based guardianship for adults with intellectual or developmental disabilities — eligibility, guardian authority, rights the individual retains, and the Surrogate's Court process. - [Emergency Guardianship](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/emergency-guardianship-lawyer/): Temporary guardianship when an adult faces immediate danger to health, safety or property — legal standard, filing requirements, and how quickly a court may act. - [Contested Guardianship](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/contested-guardianship-lawyer/): What happens when a guardianship petition is disputed — who may object, the alleged incapacitated person's right to contest, and how a judge decides. ## Landlord representation - [Landlord Rights](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/landlord-lawyer-rockland-county/): Overview of the firm's representation of New York landlords and rental property owners. - [Eviction](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/eviction-lawyer/): Grounds for eviction in New York, the difference between nonpayment and holdover cases, required predicate notices, and the court process through warrant of eviction. - [Nonpayment Eviction](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/nonpayment-eviction-lawyer/): Evicting for unpaid rent — the five-day late-rent notice, the 14-day rent demand, what to prepare before filing, and defenses tenants commonly raise. - [Holdover Proceedings](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/holdover-proceeding-lawyer/): Recovering possession after a tenancy ends — how holdover differs from nonpayment, when it applies, and which termination notices are required. - [Residential Lease Drafting](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/residential-lease-drafting-lawyer/): What a New York residential lease should contain, the laws that constrain lease terms, and which clauses courts will not enforce. ## Foreclosure defense - [Foreclosure Defense](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/foreclosure-defense-lawyer-rockland-county/): Overview of the firm's options for homeowners facing foreclosure in New York. - [Short Sales](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/short-sale-lawyer/): Selling for less than the mortgage balance with lender approval — how the process works, who qualifies, required documents, the hardship letter, and the deficiency and tax questions to settle first. - [Foreclosure Mediation](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/foreclosure-mediation-lawyer/): New York's mandatory settlement conference for owner-occupied homes — how it works and what resolutions are available. - [Mortgage Loan Modifications](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/mortgage-loan-modification-lawyer/): Permanently changing existing mortgage terms — types of modification, qualification factors, the loss mitigation application, and the trial payment plan. - [Judicial Foreclosure Defense](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/judicial-foreclosure-defense-lawyer/): New York's court-supervised foreclosure process stage by stage, including the 90-day pre-foreclosure notice and the rights homeowners hold throughout. ## Estate law - [Estate Law](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/estate-lawyer-rockland-county/): Estate planning and administration overview, including who benefits from having a plan. - [Wills](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/will-lawyer/): Who needs a will, what New York intestacy produces without one, what a will can and cannot control, and the state's execution requirements. - [Trusts](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/trust-lawyer/): How trusts work, the benefits they offer, and ten types available under New York law from revocable living trusts to Medicaid asset protection trusts. - [Powers of Attorney](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/power-of-attorney-lawyer/): How a power of attorney works, the agent's fiduciary duty, the types available in New York, and what makes one valid and enforceable. - [Probate](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/probate-lawyer/): The New York Surrogate's Court probate process, which assets pass through probate and which do not, and what affects how long it takes. ## Real estate - [Real Estate](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/real-estate-lawyer-rockland-county/): Residential and commercial real estate representation from contract review through closing. - [Residential Real Estate](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/residential-real-estate-lawyer/): Legal representation for buyers and sellers of homes in Rockland County and the surrounding region. - [Commercial Real Estate](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/commercial-real-estate-lawyer/): Legal representation for commercial property purchases, sales and leasing. ## Civil litigation and personal injury - [Civil Litigation](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/civil-litigation-lawyer-rockland-county/): Non-criminal disputes between individuals and businesses, including what civil litigation involves and how many cases resolve short of trial. - [Personal Injury](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/personal-injury-lawyer-rockland-county/): Representation for people injured by another party's negligence in the Hudson Valley and New York City. ## Locations - [New City](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/lawyer-new-city/): The firm's main office at 120 N Main St #203, New City, NY 10956. Phone (845) 630-1411. - [New York City](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/lawyer-new-york-city/): The firm's second office at 85 Broad St, 18th Floor, New York, NY 10004. Phone (718) 690-2827. - [Orange County](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/lawyer-orange-county/): Service area page for Orange County, New York. No office at this location. - [Westchester County](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/lawyer-westchester-county/): Service area page for Westchester County, New York. No office at this location. ## About the firm - [About](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/about/): Firm overview, service area, and answers to basic questions about location and practice areas. - [Peter A. Hurwitz, Esq.](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/about/peter-a-hurwitz-esq/): Attorney biography. J.D., Pace University School of Law, 1990; admitted in New York, 1991; admitted before the SDNY, EDNY, Second Circuit and U.S. Supreme Court; member of the New York State and Rockland County Bar Associations. - [Reviews](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/reviews/): Client reviews and testimonials for the firm. - [FAQ](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/faq/): Twenty-five answers spanning guardianship, landlord-tenant, foreclosure defense, estate law, real estate, civil litigation and personal injury. - [Contact](https://www.phurwitzlaw.com/contact/): Contact form and both office addresses and phone numbers.