What does a Guardian ad Litem look for in a home visit is generally asked when a parent wants to have a good impression on the Guardian ad Litem to increase their chances to get the child custody case.
This article is a guide that explains what the Guardian ad Litem looks for and how to prepare for such visit.
What Will a Guardian ad Litem Look for in Your Home Visit?
A Guardian ad Litem will look for clues indicating the well being of the child, the environment in which they are placed, and others in a home visit. A lawyer, volunteer, or mental health specialist serving as a Guardian ad Litem is someone who assesses the needs of the child.
They are entrusted with completing an investigation to determine which custody arrangement would be best for the kid and whether any safeguards, such as supervised visitation, would be required.
The child’s welfare and the parent-child relationship are factors that tells why does a Guardian ad Litem come to your house or what they are on the lookout for, such as:
- How secure each parent’s home is
- How well parents can work together or how well they can learn to work together
- The mental health of parents
- Parents’ criminal, violent, or drug abuse histories.
The GAL can consider the child’s preferences, but they will always prioritize their needs. The court may ask the GAL to explain their advice if it conflicts with the child’s wishes.
– Questions That a Guardian ad Litem Will Ask a Child
The questions that a Guardian ad Litem will ask a child during an interview are generally based on the well being of the child. GALs frequently elicit facts while also attempting to reassure the kids by asking inquiries. The GAL may decide to interview your children separately or together, depending on their ages.
To help the kids feel more comfortable, the GAL will occasionally provide them a puzzle or art tools. The GAL will make an effort to have a very amiable and conversational interview. The GAL could inquire about anything to make the child feel more at ease:
- What topics do they enjoy in school? What foods do they enjoy eating for lunch? Who is their instructor?
- Who are their friends in school? What do they enjoy doing in the house?
- Do they participate in sports? What games do they enjoy playing? Do they possess musical talent? Do they belong to any clubs or groups?
- Who are the members of their family? Do they own any animals? Do they travel to see their relatives?
– GAL Home Visit Checklist
A GAL home visit checklist includes things mentioned here. Although each Guardian ad Litem uses a different approach to their inquiry, you must be ready to provide a number of key details about your connection with the children and those of your soon-to-be ex, including:
- A brief history of your interactions with your ex: The GAL isn’t interested in hearing every detail of your relationship, but they will be curious about the events that led to the split and how they affected your interactions with your children.
- What specifically led to the need for contested custody litigation: Do your best to spend your time with GAL clarifying the facts so that they are well-informed about your case.
- How you raise your children: No matter if you are a lenient or stern parent, you cannot change who you are. Be sincere, and make sure to let the GAL know if your parenting philosophy varies from that of your upcoming ex. For this, you also have to ask your attorney “what questions does a Guardian ad Litem ask parents” like “What will your rival parent think of you?”
- The kids’ everyday schedules.
- Give a useful list of individuals to interview: Provide a list of three to five persons who have witnessed your interactions with your kids and can highlight your parenting skills.
The above could also be applied as a Guardian ad Litem home visit checklist Ohio. Be ready to provide the following to Guardians ad Litem:
- An overview of the parental relationship across time
- A timeline of the actions that led to a custody disagreement
- What your parenting style is like (and how it might be different from the other parent’s)
- A summary of the children’s extracurricular activities and daily schedule
- A list of potential interview subjects
How Can You Collaborate With the Guardian ad Litem?
To collaborate with the Guardian ad Litem assigned to you, make sure their fees are fully paid, be reachable and accommodating, do not harass or badger them, always be truthful, and allow them to do their job. This will make it easier for both you and the GAL.
The GAL must be appointed by the judge during certain divorce proceedings. This is a person who thoroughly investigates the situation on their own and advises the court on what is best for the child.
When there are claims of abuse or neglect, the case is fiercely debated, or a child has to speak up in court, a GAL may be appointed. Here are five suggestions for collaborating with a GAL:
– Pay Them
Making sure that GAL fees are paid is crucial. The court does not pay the volunteer and is not providing this service for free. This is different when the Division of Family Services/Division of Children’s is engaged in cases of abuse or neglect.
GALs must spend time gathering information and speaking with parties in the case, including the child or children, if they are old enough. They are family law attorneys, and they ought to get paid for their services. The GAL fees are often split equally between the parties.
A GAL might submit motions to invalidate pleadings and drag out your case if they aren’t paid. You should pay your GAL just like you pay your attorney.
– Be Reachable and Accommodating
Make sure you have time for your GAL when they ask to talk with you. Respond to any emails they send. If they call, return the call or answer it. They cannot perform their duties if they cannot ask the necessary questions.
Additionally, you want to leave a positive impression by being approachable and supportive. A GAL will acquire an unfavorable opinion of you immediately if they can’t even get in touch with you or if you’re disrespectful to them. The outcome for you and your child as a result of that unfavorable opinion may be significant.
– Do Not Harass or Badger Them
On the one hand, you should always be reachable, but on the other, you shouldn’t annoy anyone.
Everyone involved in a divorce requires time to do their tasks, whether it be you delivering paperwork to your attorney, your attorney composing pleadings, or a GAL gathering data to create a recommendation about your child. Excessive phone or email contact with a GAL will quickly annoy them and result in extra charges. Be patient with them.
– Be Truthful
Be truthful with your GAL. This practically goes without saying, but it still has to be stated.
Tell the truth if they inquire about something. Nothing is worse than offering a false answer and afterwards learning the truth. Your credibility is destroyed, and the GAL has a negative opinion of you as a result. Do not lie, and consider the information you supply carefully.
– Allow Them To Do Their Tasks
Being approachable and refraining from badgering or nagging go hand in hand with this advice. GALs enter cases at different points. They must gather a lot of information because they don’t know anything before deciding what is best for your child.
– Be Polite and Respectful
You should tell the Guardian ad Litem things which are in best interest of the child. Your interactions with the GAL should always be polite and respectful. The Guardian ad Litem may also request specific documents and want to talk with both parents.
You should respond to requests quickly, but you have the right to consult an attorney about any document requests. By doing this, you may get answer to “how to tell if the Guardian ad Litem is on your side” by his response and behavior. Maintain a good attitude and concentrate on how you can give your child the greatest environment when you speak with the Guardian ad Litem.
FAQ
– Does the Guardian ad Litem’s Opinion Matter in Child Custody Cases?
Yes, the Guardian ad Litem’s opinion matters a lot in child custody cases. Just like an attorney represents whoever employs their services, GALs are advocates for minor children. Their main responsibility is to look into the matter and decide what will be best for the child.
After the divorce is finalized, the Guardian ad Litem will interview both parties, the kids, and anybody else who may have knowledge of what will be best for the children. Accordingly, they could recommend sole custody and this answers other important questions such as “Can a Guardian ad Litem recommend sole custody?”
Conclusion
You should be ready to respond to all of the Guardian ad Litem’s inquiries when they start their inquiry. Thus, after reading the guide above, you may get answer to what does a Guardian ad Litem look for in a home inspection.
- The GAL submits a custody report to the court after they have finished their analysis, and although not conclusive proof, the court will give it a lot of consideration.
- The Guardian ad Litem will be interested in knowing what the children are doing on a day-to-day basis and how their routine is set up.
- How long does a Guardian ad Litem investigation take? This depends on your conduct and behavior in an investigation.
- Your performance will be evaluated more favorably in the GAL report the more you cooperate and participate in the GAL’s queries.
- The GAL may also combine “fact-gathering” inquiries with “getting to know you” questions for children.
After reading this article, you may know what not to say to a Guardian ad Litem and why a Guardian ad Litem comes to your house. Make sure to consult an attorney for further inquiries.
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