The guardian ad litem is appointed to represent the best interests and legal interests of a child involved in a dependency proceeding and to develop recommendations regarding the child’s best interests. GALs represent the best interests and protect the legal interests of children in all phases of child welfare court proceedings. To do so, a GAL may meet with each child, interview the parents and caretakers, and review any relevant court, psychological and school records. In certain situations, the court will appoint a GAL and counsel for the child. In that case, the GAL represents the best interests of the child, and counsel represents the legal interests and express wishes of the child.
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