Monday, November 26, 2012  What’s a Guardian Ad Litem and Do You
Need One?  Guardians ad litem are people that have been
appointed by the court to represent “the best interests of the
child” in court proceedings. In family court, guardians are
appointed in contested custody and visitation cases, and cases
where abuse or neglect has been alleged. Though guardians can be
directly appointed by judges, in many contested custody and
visitation cases the guardian is selected by the parties’
attorneys.  In these contentious custody cases the guardian is
paid for by the parties. Though the guardian ad litem is
typically an attorney, this is not always the case as anyone who
meets the requirements can be a guardian in such cases (Ohio
Superintendence Rule 48).  The guardian’s role is a bit of a
mixture of investigator and advocate. Some guardians will tend
towards one side and not the other; it depends on the
circumstances of the case and the temperament of the individual
guardian. Some are zealous advocates for the c