Connecticut - Public Service Announcement - Guardians ad litem have feelings please be sensitive

Recently Guardians ad litem have come under intense scrutiny in Connecticut for their actions in family court. They are crying that the role is mis-understood by consumers and the public in general. It is so bad that Guardians ad litem have asked to be withdrawn from cases. Is this because they feel that in doing so it is in the best interest of the child(ren) they represent? Or because for the first time their actions are coming under more scrutiny? Presented here are two articles from the Connecticut Law Tribune:

GALs Are Withdrawing From Cases As Court Reform Tensions Grow

Connecticut Law Tribune

Increasingly angry tactics have been pervading the public inquiry into family court custody reform, triggering a fight-or-flight response from top members of the family bar.

Some are ready to throw in the towel, or at least take a long time out.

Dozens of lawyers who work as guardians ad litem (GALs) or attorneys for minor children are in the process of withdrawing their representation, or are no longer accepting such appointments.

For example, in the past 30 days, Steven Dembo, of Hartford's Berman, Bourns, Aaron & Dembo, has asked to withdraw from four of his eight Guardian ad litem appointments. The requests are due in part to increasing attacks of the work done by Guardians ad litem on Internet websites and Facebook pages highlighting problems in Connecticut's family courts.

Full story: The Connecticut Law Tribune

Editorial: Legislature Considers Guardian Ad Litem Reform

The Connecticut Law Tribune

Appointed by judges to represent the interests of children in custody disputes, Guardians ad litem typically operate below the radar of public opinion. But in recent weeks, they have come under a microscope.

GALs were a focal point of a state task force looking into family court costs. They are primary targets of advocates who say they are upset that custody disputes have become far too expensive for the average person to wage, and that GAL fees reaching $30,000 or more are unconscionable.

They have captured the attention of legislators, some of whom have already expressed determination to increase oversight of GALs. And they have prompted a rare newspaper column by the state's chief justice, who agrees that some reforms are needed.

Full story: The Connecticut Law Tribune

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