Bakken, David Morgan

The Law Offices of Deborah S. Ball is a practice concentrating on elder law issues, matters affecting the developmentally disabled, trust and estate planning options, including will preparation, and estate administration.  As a former Assistant District Attorney, Ms. Ball investigated home repair schemes against the elderly community.  Ms. Ball has been appointed as guardian, guardian ad litem, court evaluator, and attorney for the alleged incapacitated person, as well representing clients in guardian proceedings involving elderly and disabled individuals. 

Ms. Ball is a member of the New York State Bar Association Elder Law Section where she serves on the Guardianship Committee, the Mental Health Law Committee; the Committee on Special Needs Planning.  She is also a member of the Committee on Representing Developmentally Disabled Persons and the Trusts and Estates Section.  She is a member of the National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys and the Brooklyn Bar Association Elder Law Section.  Ms. Ball is a past member of the board of directors of the Queens Interagency Council on Aging.  Ms. Ball is also a member of the Attorney’s Council of the New York Chapter of Hadassah and has served as the co-chair for the Working Mother’s Committee of the Women’s Bar Association from 2000 -2001.  Currently, Ms. Ball serves as a board member of the Brandeis Association of Lawyers.

Ms. Ball regularly presents lectures on issues affecting the elderly and disabled, and their families to various organizations and associations.  She has been a participant in a panel discussion on elder abuse, hosted by the Kings County District Attorney’s Office.  Ms. Ball is on legal referral lists for the Department of the Aging, SelfHelp Community Services, UJA-Federation, and the Alzheimer’s Association, where she is a frequent lecturer.  Ms. Ball has co-chaired and presented a CLE program for the New State Bar Association on “pooled trusts” for disabled persons.

Ms. Ball is a participant in the Guardianship Clinic at New York Law School, where each semester, she mentors a law student by being appointed along with the law student as court evaluator or attorney for an alleged incapacitated person.

Ms. Ball has represented clients in guardianship hearings, and prepared motions for Final Accountings on behalf of community guardianships programs.  She has accepted appointments to serve as guardian, temporary guardian, attorney for the AIP and court evaluator.  Additionally, she has provided her services, on a pro-bono basis, in New York County for the appointment of guardians, court evaluators and court appointed attorneys.  As a result thereof, she has acquired extensive experience in matters of this nature and is competent and knowledgeable in pursuing her duties and responsibilities to assure and protect the interests of the alleged incapacitated person from the time of an order to show cause has been issued and to assist the Court in its findings. The Alzheimer’s Association published an article that written by Ms. Ball, entitled, “Effectively Granting Power of Attorney.”  The article appeared in the Winter 2007 Newsletter.  

Ms. Ball is a graduate of Brooklyn Law School, where she was a member of the Moot Court Honor Society.  She received her Bachelor’s Degree as well as a Master’s Degree in History from the State University of New York at Albany.

Article by Ms. Ball:  "The Good We Do"