Thank you.
At Sanctuary for Families, we believe estate planning is more than a legal task — it’s a powerful way to reflect your values, protect your loved ones, and support causes close to your heart. As we kick off our planned giving series, we’re starting with two essential tools: wills and living trusts.
What’s the Difference?
A will lets you outline how your assets should be distributed after your passing. You can name beneficiaries, appoint guardians, and designate an executor. However, wills typically go through probate—a court process that can be time-consuming and public.
A living trust holds your assets during your lifetime and distributes them according to your wishes when you pass. Trusts generally avoid probate, allowing for quicker, more private distribution. They can also provide asset management if you become incapacitated.
Why Include Sanctuary?
Naming Sanctuary for Families in your will or living trust is a meaningful way to support survivors of gender violence beyond your lifetime. By designating a specific amount, percentage, or the remainder of your estate, you help ensure our life-saving work continues for generations.
Planned gifts can also offer tax benefits and allow you to make a lasting impact without affecting your current finances. No matter which path you choose, your legacy will reflect a deep commitment to justice, safety, and empowerment.
Getting Started
Estate planning can seem daunting, but guidance is available. An estate attorney can help you choose the best approach, and Sanctuary offers resources to align your giving with your values.
To learn more about how your legacy can support survivors and promote change, visit our planned giving website.
This article is part of our ongoing series on planned giving options. Stay tuned for future installments exploring beneficiary designations, charitable trusts, and more.
Sanctuary honors the life and legacy of Burt Tansky, a visionary leader in luxury retail and a devoted advocate for philanthropy, who passed away on March 16, 2025. His generosity and unwavering support of Sanctuary strengthened our mission in meaningful ways, profoundly impacting the lives of survivors.
Born to immigrant parents in Pittsburgh, PA, Burt graduated from the University of Pittsburgh and rose from the stockrooms of Kaufmann’s to the executive suites of Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, and ultimately, as President and CEO of the Neiman Marcus Group. His leadership earned him some of the industry’s highest honors, including the Gold Medal Award from the National Retail Federation, recognition from the CFDA, and the Legend of Luxury Award.
Beyond retail, Burt was deeply committed to philanthropy, supporting causes such as Jupiter Hospital, Temple Judea, The Kind Kitchen, FAU Honors Program, The University of Pittsburgh, and many others.
His generosity extended to Sanctuary, where his contributions reflected his deep commitment to supporting survivors of gender violence.
In recognition of Burt’s commitment to our work, Sanctuary honored him and his wife, Rita, at our Zero Tolerance Benefit in 2014. Burt took great pride in his deep connection with Sanctuary and introduced many new friends to the organization—many of whom continue to support our mission to this day.
Burt was a devoted husband, father, and grandfather. Despite the demands of his remarkable career, he never lost sight of what mattered most—love, connection, and community.
He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Rita; children Hyla (Eric) Weiss and Michael (Ellen) Tansky; grandchildren Emily, Coby, and Sascha; sister Eva Blum (Norman Wolmark); and countless loved ones.
Burt’s impact on fashion and philanthropy will be felt for generations. Sanctuary is deeply grateful to have been touched by his compassion, vision, and generous spirit.
Every year, Sanctuary for Families’ Pro Bono Project has the privilege of collaborating with highly skilled and committed pro bono attorneys. Through our Pro Bono Spotlight, we highlight the phenomenal work carried out by Sanctuary’s pro bono partners.
*Please note that this blog contains descriptions of abuse that could be triggering*
Sanctuary for Families represented “Liane” for several years in a complex custody and order of protection case. Liane had endured years of severe physical and emotional abuse, often in front of the parties’ children. Following a lengthy trial, the Court found Liane’s testimony credible and determined that her ex-partner had committed multiple serious family offenses, including second-degree assault. Moreover, the Court acknowledged the presence of aggravating circumstances in the case, but ultimately only issued a two-year order of protection even though she was entitled to a five-year order of protection given the finding of aggravating circumstances. The Respondent appealed the Court’s decision, and Sanctuary filed a counter-appeal.
Schulte Roth & Zabel LLP eagerly accepted the challenge of working on this appeal. The key legal issue in this case was determining whether the Court erred in issuing a two-year order of protection despite finding aggravating circumstances. Taleah E. Jennings, partner, and Priyadarshini Das, associate, worked diligently to draft a compelling brief on behalf of Liane and advocate for her during the oral argument. Thanks to Taleah and Priyadarshini’s efforts, Sanctuary received a very favorable decision from the Second Department, with the Appellate Court issuing a five-year order of protection and declining to remand the case to the lower court.
“It was a pleasure working with Schulte. Taleah and Priyadarshini quickly assessed the strengths of the appeal, drafted an excellent brief on behalf of our client, and zealously advocated for her during oral argument.”
– Erin Mears, Senior Staff Attorney, Sanctuary’s Community Law Project
“Schulte has been one of our ‘go to’ firms for handling our client’s family law appeals. We are so grateful for their continued partnership and their dedication to helping survivors.”
– Nicole Fidler, Senior Project Director, Sanctuary’s Pro Bono Project
This incredible victory has given Liane the ability to move forward with her life without fear for her and her children’s safety. Below, Taleah and Priyadarshini discuss their experience working on this successful appeal as well as how it informed their approach toward trauma-informed lawyering and protection for survivors.
What interested you in working on this appeal pro bono?
Our firm has handled appeals for Sanctuary for Families in a number of cases, including another involving the Family Court’s abuse of discretion in issuing an inadequate order of protection. It is always a rewarding experience to help clients navigate through all stages of the New York State court system. When Sanctuary for Families reached out to us, we were eager to incorporate our prior experience with these sorts of appeals and assist in the great services the organization provides its clients.
What went into preparing for the oral argument?
We spent a lot of time preparing for the argument. There was a full trial record, and we made sure we knew the transcripts, evidence, and every single case that was cited in the multiple briefings inside and out. Through the date of the argument, we monitored the family court and appellate docket for any new decisions that we may want or need to address during argument. We also called upon our colleagues in our firm’s litigation department to conduct several moot arguments, which was really helpful because the diversity of views and questions they had during the moots strengthened our confidence to argue to a panel of appellate judges. We also familiarized ourselves with the judges themselves, by researching their backgrounds, reading their relevant decisions, and watching recorded arguments from other appellate matters.
How did working on this appeal shape your understanding of trauma-informed lawyering?
We kept at the forefront of our minds and as a key theme in our briefing for the appeal, that our client went through the trauma of experiencing domestic violence, had to relive it in court, and then—having survived her abuse and prevailing on the merits at trial—was denied the protection she needed and deserved. Our job in this appeal was to rectify that error, both for her and for other survivors who should know that they can receive adequate protection when they work their way through the court system.
As lawyers, it is almost impossible to avoid being impacted by our clients’ traumatic experiences. That has pros and cons. The devastating violence that our client and her children experienced motivated us to get her the right result. But there is the vicarious or secondhand trauma that often comes from reliving your clients’ experience with them. We always made sure to recognize that to ensure it did not impact our work or our health.
In what ways was working on this appeal rewarding for you?
We are grateful to have the opportunity to work with such an incredible organization like Sanctuary for Families and to help people who may otherwise lack access to counsel. It was especially rewarding to get the justice our client deserved but also getting a full judicial opinion that will go on to help others seeking orders of protection.
We greatly appreciate Taleah and Priyadarshini for their exceptional advocacy and dedication to supporting survivors.
On Tuesday, March 11, Sanctuary for Families hosted a groundbreaking expert panel discussion in parallel with the 69th session of the Commission on the Status of Women (“CSW”), an annual two-week session hosted by UN Women. The Sanctuary event, Beyond Borders: Strengthening the Hague Convention for Domestic Violence Survivors, focused on the 1980 Hague Convention on International Child Abduction (the “Convention”) and its problematic application to survivors of domestic violence fleeing abuse. As far as we are aware, it was the first CSW parallel event to address the intersection between the Convention and domestic violence.
This panel was organized by Sanctuary’s Narkis Golan International Child Abduction Initiative, a new Sanctuary project aimed at improving outcomes for domestic violence survivors in Hague Convention litigations. The project primarily serves mothers fleeing domestic violence to protect themselves and their children. The project provides crucial support to clients through screenings, pro se advice and assistance, and connecting clients with pro bono attorneys across the U.S.
The Hague Convention and Its Limitations
The Hague Convention on the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction was established over forty years ago to ensure the prompt return of children wrongfully removed or retained across international borders. Its intent was to protect children from the harms of international abduction; it has never been updated to address cases where a parent flees across borders to escape domestic violence.
A key provision within the Convention is the Article 13(b) “grave risk” exception. This defense allows a parent to argue that returning the child to their home country would expose them to physical or psychological harm or place them in an intolerable situation. However, proving this defense can be complex and challenging, specifically for protective mothers who are seeking refuge from domestic abuse and who often have no money to hire an experienced attorney to help them assert the complicated defense.
Panel Discussion: Addressing the Gaps in the Convention
The panel brought together renowned experts to evaluate the Convention’s failure to protect survivors of domestic violence and their children adequately. These experts proposed best practices and solutions to improve the implementation of the Convention, specifically for fleeing mothers seeking safety and protection.
The panelists included:
- Reem Alsalem, UN Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women and Girls, who has been instrumental in raising awareness of the difficulties faced by Hague Mothers.
- Adrienne Barnett, Professor of Family Law at Brunel University, London, who focuses on family law and the Hague Convention, among other areas.
- Janaína Albuquerque Azevedo Gomes, Legal Coordinator at REVIBRA Europe, a dual-qualified lawyer practicing in Brazil and Portugal, with expertise in cross-border family law.
- Maria Jose Vallejo Manzur, Director of the Bi-National Project of Family Violence at Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid, a dual-qualified lawyer practicing in the U.S. and Mexico.
- Merle H. Weiner, Professor at the University of Oregon School of Law, who has extensively written on the impact of the Convention on domestic violence survivors.
Key Discussion Topics
The panelists began by addressing the foundational issues with the Convention in the context of domestic violence. Topics included the history and goals of the Convention, the challenges of the “Grave Risk of Harm” defense, unequal access to justice, and the issue of protective mothers being perceived as “abductors.” The gender dynamics present in these cases were also explored, shedding light on how the legal framework often fails to consider the realities of domestic violence and its effect on mothers.
The panelists also discussed the concept of protective measures, which in theory are supposed to help survivors and their children safely return to the left-behind country. They emphasized the practical difficulties domestic violence survivors face in trying to enforce these measures, as well as the fact that the measures often fall far short of the protection they and their children need to truly mitigate the risk of further physical and/or psychological harm. The second half of the conversation shifted to the human rights implications in Hague domestic violence cases. The panelists shared insights from their respective jurisdictions and examined the broader human rights concerns at play.
The panel concluded with an analysis of potential solutions, such as the need for updates to the Convention’s Guide to Good Practice, improved and more accessible legal support for Hague mothers, and increased awareness both domestically and internationally about the unique challenges Hague mothers/survivors and their children face.
Sanctuary extends our deep gratitude to Latham & Watkins LLP, a long-time Sanctuary pro bono partner, for providing the venue, lunch and phenomenal event services team without which this panel discussion would not have been a success.
If you are a survivor of gender-based violence and need an intake and consultation related to a Hague Convention case, please email GolanInitiative@sffny.org