Guardian Ad Litem

Indiana Guardian Ad Litem

Children's issues are the over-riding concern in child custody and parenting time decisions. When courts feel that the best interests of the children are not being considered, they often appoint a guardian ad litem to look out for the interests of the children. Scott Yahne at Efron, Efron & Yahne, in Hammond, Indiana, is appointed as a guardian ad litem for children whose parents are going through a divorce.

Indiana Guardian Ad Litem Services

In family and juvenile court proceedings, a Judge may appoint a guardian ad litem. A guardian ad litem represents the interests of the children, assesses what custody or parenting time arrangement is in their best interest, and reports to the Judge or Magistrate. In some cases, the guardian ad litem makes an independent assessment of the situation if the parties are highly polarized and hold widely divergent views on custody questions.

Although many people think of a guardian ad litem as the "children's attorney," this is not exactly the case. In particular, while an attorney must generally follow his client's wishes, the guardian ad litem is not at all obligated to do what the children want. Rather, the guardian ad litem serves as the eyes and ears of the judge with regard to custody and parenting time matters. A guardian ad litem has the power to be present and ask questions at depositions, interview witnesses, draw conclusions, and submit those conclusions to the Judge.

Contact our Indiana Guardian Ad Litem

If you have any questions about the services of a Guardian Ad Litem, please contact the lawyers at Efron, Efron & Yahne. Our attorneys can be reached by phone at [219] 931-5380, by e-mail, or by filling out the intake form on our Contact Us page.

Efron, Efron & Yahne in Hammond, Indiana, provides guardian ad litem services for clients throughout Northwest Indiana, Lake County, Porter County, and the Chicago area including the cities of Whiting, East Chicago, Gary, Portage, Munster, Valparaiso, Highland, Griffith, Schererville, Crown Point, Dyer, St. John, Merrillville, Hobart, and Cedar Lake.