Child Representative / Guardian Ad Litem

Law Offices of Van A. Schwab

Illinois Family Law Attorney

Honest ◦ Straightforward ◦ Experienced

Guardian Ad Litem ◦ Child Advocate ◦ Child Representative

When parents are in a contested child custody dispute even after mediation has been completed, a mediator may send a case back to court. The court may appoint an attorney, guardian ad litem, or child representative to serve as a voice for the child. With over 28 years of experience in family law matters, attorney Van Schwab has the experience needed to be a dedicated advocate for children's needs.

To schedule a consultation with Illinois guardian ad litem and family law attorney Van A. Schwab, contact the law firm through this Web site.

Representation of Children in Family Law Matters

In any action involving child support, child custody, visitation rights, education, parentage, or welfare of a minor child, the court may appoint a lawyer to represent the interests of a child. These roles can be:

• Attorney—The attorney provides the same counsel and owes the same duties to the child as the attorney would if the child was an adult.
• Guardian ad litem—A guardian ad litem is appointed by the court to testify or submit a written report describing his or her position on the best interest of the child. A guardian ad litem investigates the facts of the particular situation, interviews the child and parents, and formulates an opinion as to the child’s best interest. A guardian ad litem may be called as a witness, but cannot cross-examine other witnesses in a trial.
• Child representative—The child representative is uniquely different from both a regular attorney and a guardian ad litem. The child representative advocates on the child’s behalf based on what he or she has determined to be the best interests of the child. Unlike a regular attorney who is duty-bound to pursue the child’s wishes, a child representative may consider the child’s wishes but not necessarily follow them. The representative can interview and investigate the facts, cross-examine witnesses, recommend settlements, and work to find alternate forms of dispute resolution. The representative cannot be called as a witness and does not produce a report to the court. Instead, they advocate for the child’s interest and present evidence to support their assertions. The child representative is required to have training or equivalent experience in child advocacy.

Van A. Schwab regularly serves as a guardian ad litem or child representative at the request of family courts. In these roles, he conducts the necessary interviews and investigation in order to accurately determine the best interests of the child. The investigation may involve conducting interviews, gaining releases from both parents to review school records and psychological reports concerning the child, and evaluating
all evidence that is gathered.

Learn more about the role that a child representative or guardian ad litem may play in your child custody dispute. Contact the Law Offices of Van A. Schwab.

Law Offices of Van A. Schwab
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