Subscribe To AdoptionPride.com
GAL - Guardian Ad LitemThe GAL, or Guardian Ad Litem, specifically means Guardian of Litigation, or the person (a lawyer) who makes the decisions or recommendations to the judge in a court of law regarding a child in the state's custody. In a foster care situation, the social services agency is the legal guardian of the child. The agency places a child in foster care and grants certain rights, responsibilities and decisions to the foster family. The agency has it's own lawyer, but the child is then given legal representation in the form of a GAL whose job is to recommend the judge take specific action based on the child's best interest. Judges will ordinarily listen to and decide cases based on the GAL's recommendations who usually make decisions based on the information provided by the caseworker and the CASA.Generally, the foster care providers meet the GAL only once or twice. With my first child, I met the GAL very late in the case at a park for about 15 minutes. He watched my son play, asked me afew questions, and moved on. In two of my cases, I never met the GAL. These lawyers can be very busy, often juggling many cases and sometimes trying to run their own practices, which is why they rely a lot on the information provided to them by the CASA and the caseworker.
|
