GAL - Guardian Ad Litem

A What?

When my office manager asked me to become a GAL, I was like “A What?” As a law student, I didn’t care about my criminal law or family law classes because I didn’t want to practice those types of law. Even when I graded top at my classes on those topics, I never considered life would send me that type of practice.

Well, as usual, life had the last laugh.

I soon realized via independent Googling and a six-hour-long CLE that a GAL is short of Guardian Ad Litem. A GAL performs independent investigations when there is an issue associated with a minor. The GAL is the child’s attorney and represents their best interests. This is different from their wishes because people and children do not always know what’s best for them.

So, I got trained and on a list to receive cases.

Kids Big and Small

In my first four assigned cases, I got children ranging from 18 months to sixteen-years-old. My cases ranged from abuse, neglect, dependence, to alleged criminal activity. Needless to say, the investigations were each as unique as the child. The teens were moody and the little ones were distractable and cute. But, they all had one thing in common, they were scared because their lives had been interrupted.

So, there I was introducing myself to children big and small as ‘Ms. Nova’.

Best Interest

As an impartial outsider, I can see when an adult is not a good influence on a child. But, there is a spectrum because parents are not expected to be perfect - just good enough. Regardless of the type of neglect or abuse, children love their parents. It makes sense really, their parents are part of them biologically and emotional ties are necessary for survival.

So, going into the lives of these children I look not for what will make them happy in-the-moment but what will keep them stable for a lifetime. Sometimes the answer is clear and sometimes you choose the least bad option. That’s just life.

Moral Calling

After practicing as a GAL for a bit, it occurs to me how much power was placed in my hands over the lives of children. It’s a bigger responsibility than power over the lives of adults, in my opinion, because children’s potential is theoretically limitless.

While my reports do not determine the outcome of the case, they weigh in heavily. So, I take the job quite seriously and attempt to employ empathy to all parties involved. Most abusers are themselves trapped in generational cycles of dysfunction. They deserve, but probably will never get, help.

For example, often the people most in need of mental health resources, cannot afford the care they need. At the end of the day, most children in bad situations simply deserve better and it’s my job to determine how to get them better.

Looking back on my life, I’m not sure what I thought I would be doing at 26-years-old. But, I didn’t expect to have such an important job. Who knew being a lawyer could be a higher moral calling?