In a previous position I worked as a guardian ad litem. People after reading my bio would like to know what that is exactly so here is a brief description. Although, I do not focus my practice on this type of work anymore it was a valuable experience for me. Read more about my experiences.
Guardian Ad Litem-
A guardian appointed by the court to represent the interests of Infants, the unborn, or incompetent persons in legal actions.
In Colorado, GALs are most often used in cases of dependency and neglect where the child needs a voice separate from that of the State’s attorney or mother and dad’s attorneys. While the GAL is representing the BEST INTERESTS of the child, this is different- and may even conflict with- representing and advocating for the wants of the child.
In divorce matters, a similar concept can be seen in the child legal representative (CLR) . This is a separate attorney brought in the action to act as counsel for the children. This separate attorney in often paid for by the parents and is able to separately motion the Court, call his own witnesses to convey matters to the court and question any of the parties brought to action by the parents.
I believe if more parents took the time to hire a separate attorney for the children, the amount of fighting and posturing between the parents would quickly be stifled. I also find this person to be great empowerment for children who feel completely left out of the decisions being made on their behalf.
