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Joanna R. Adu, Esq. Obtains Guardianship for Sisters After Decades of Separation
Shareholder and Partner Joanna R. Adu, Esq. was recently featured in an NJ.com article for her work in legally reuniting two Japanese sisters separated since 1949. Osaka natives Terry Jones and her sister Masami Grey were abandoned in a park at 4 years old, separately adopted by American families, and relocated to the United States. Neither knew the other’s location until 73 years later, in 2022.
After a lifetime of searching for her sister, Ms. Jones learned the identity of her sister’s adoptive father on a trip to Japan. Armed with new information, she located her sister, who is disabled and non-verbal, residing in a New Jersey facility. After reuniting, Ms. Jones attempted to obtain guardianship of her sister so that she could relocate and care for her.
Joanna, who shares the sisters’ Black and Japanese heritage and is also a special needs parent, volunteered to take the case pro bono. Joanna is a committed advocate for disabled individuals and protects their legal rights in her practice and private life.
As Chair of Lyons & Associate, P.C. Trusts, Estates, and Finance Practice Group, much of Joanna’s practice concentrates on guardianships, wills, trusts, and estates, focusing on protections for disabled clients. She also serves on the boards of two New Jersey non-profit organizations serving the disability community, SERV Connect and Eden Autism.
Joanna successfully obtained guardianship and authorization for Ms. Jones to relocate her sister to her home in Georgia with assistance from Senior Counsel Jennifer M. Cornelius, Esq. and other firm associates, paralegals, and a colleague who translated the sisters’ Japanese adoption documents.
“It’s just such a wonderful thing to see someone who was otherwise just forgotten, kind of left as a ward of the state for decades, to be taken into their family, be loved, and be able to live out the rest of her life with the time and attention and care that she needs and deserves,” Joanna said.
To read the full article, click here.
Lyons & Associates, P.C. is a full-service law firm serving Somerville, Morristown, Freehold, New Jersey and the surrounding areas. Call 908-575-9777 or contact us online to schedule a free consultation. We serve clients throughout Somerset, Woodbridge, Morristown, Parsippany, Rockaway, Short Hills, Chatham, Randolph, Madison, Morris Plains, and Monmouth County.