A Guardian ad Litem, appointed in family court often assists in settling challenging, complex or high conflict cases without court intervention by:
- Assisting counsel and families by providing a neutral analysis of parenting issues
- Gathering information, conducting interviews and site visits, reviewing correspondence and issuing subpoenas for important documents
- Conferring with possible witnesses and other professionals, such as teachers, law enforcement, physicians, tutors, therapists, accountants, court and corrections personnel, technology specialists, community based service providers, laboratory analysts, chemists, real estate professionals and child care providers
- Generating a report specifying what information was sought, reviewed and learned, often expanding discovery and transparency among the parties
- Applies the Chapter 61.13 statutory considerations to the information gathered, providing a framework for the court and counsel if needed
- Provides recommendations as to how to resolve important parenting disagreements in the best interests of the child