Contrary to what many New York guardianship attorneys believe, guardianship case files are presumed open under state law, a Nassau County judge ruled.

Ruling in a case involving Amelia Gould, a property owner and art collector worth at least tens of millions of dollars who was incapacitated, acting Nassau County Judge Gary Knobel said a party who is not related to Gould did not show good cause for sealing the case records.

There are allegations in the case of “financial exploitation” and “Svengali-like manipulation” over Gould, Knobel said.