A guardian ad litem may be appointed by the court in cases involving child abuse or neglect.
A guardian ad litem is a court-appointed guardian who upholds the child’s rights in court proceedings, but is unlikely to be a person the child lives with or even knows personally, except through the court system. The position is usually created by the court system in cases where children are abused or neglected. In some cases, the position can be particularly controversial, especially in cases where the parents are divorcing. In other cases, the tutor is simply a reassuring voice for the child.
A guardian ad litem is a court-appointed guardian who defends the rights of the child in court proceedings.
The main requirement to be a guardian ad litem is to have love for children and want what is best for them. The position is not easy and requires a time commitment. This time commitment can be very sporadic, but for a few weeks it can be very significant. In addition to advocating in court, the guardian must investigate the situation and perhaps make recommendations.
Children who have been abandoned may require a guardian ad litem.
While you don’t need a special education plan to become a guardian ad litem, there are career options that work very well for the position. Those who know family law, such as attorneys and court clerks, can make good decisions. Additionally, those in the social services field would likely do well in these positions, as they are likely already strong advocates for children and have their best interests in mind.
In some cases, a guardian ad litem makes decisions about the child’s education.
The first step in becoming a guardian ad litem is to start the application process. The local court clerk should be able to direct those interested in this position, or they will have applications in hand. Once completed, there will also be a background check and likely an interview process. Those who have significant criminal histories or incidents of child abuse or neglect will likely not be considered at this time for obvious reasons.
A child’s guardian ad litem may or may not know the child personally.
After this initial application process, each jurisdiction may be slightly different in what is required. However, some type of training period will be mandatory. The nature and scope of this period may be different, averaging approximately 30 hours. During this time, the candidate will review the role of the guardian ad litem, review ethics, and review the types of duties they are expected to perform.
Individuals with a history of child abuse or neglect will be excluded from consideration for guardians ad litems.
Once you have completed the training program, the only other step to becoming a guardian ad litem is to wait for your appointment. Depending on the need, the wait can be long or short. Those who have experience in being that guardian may have more opportunities, but however much experience one has, the opportunities will come.