The family court’s failure to protect guardians ad litem does not appear to be improving
January 31, 2023
Over a decade ago I stopped doing guardian ad Litem work and blogged about why. I was tired of ad hominem attacks from unhappy litigants—and
The guardian’s questionnaire is additional interrogatories
September 17, 2019
While not thought of as such, the guardian’s questionnaire is akin to additional (child-custody related) interrogatories. As an example, the current questionnaire of a local
Three methods of reducing the impact of an unfavorable guardian ad litem report
April 20, 2018
The typical response of an unhappy litigant to an unfavorable guardian ad litem report is to accuse the guardian of bias. While in rare instances
Little reason to attack the guardian at trial
January 15, 2017
Working on materials for an upcoming lecture on attorney/guardian interactions, I realized that it had been years since I last felt compelled to “attack” the
What the guardian should expect from the attorneys/What attorneys should expect from the guardian
January 12, 2017
The following are materials for an upcoming Charleston County guardian ad litem luncheon. I am posting them as a blog so that folks can comment.
Should guardians give opinions?
April 22, 2016
A former mentee of mine, who is developing a thriving practice as a guardian ad litem in private custody cases, recently asked for my opinion
Court of Appeals affirms custody determination despite claim of improper guardian investigation
April 4, 2014
The April 2, 2014 Court of Appeals opinion in Simcox-Adams v. Adams, 408 S.C. 252, 758 S.E.2d 206, (Ct. App. 2014), affirmed the family court’s award of
Who does the guardian ad litem work for?
August 27, 2013
Frequently guardians ad litem take direction regarding their investigation from the parents or attorneys for the parents without exercising their own independent judgment. Sometimes litigants
