N.Y. Jud. Law § 474-b

§ 474-b. Attorney retainer statements. The office of court\nadministation shall make available to the department of social services\ncopies of retainer statements or closing statements filed with the\noffice of court administration pursuant to the rules of the appellate\ndivisions, or relevant information contained therein, for the purpose of\nenabling the department to compare a list of parties against the\ndepartment's public assistance and medical assistance recipient listings\nin order for the department to determine the potential for recovery of\nsuch assistance paid, consistent with applicable law.\n