Guardian Ad Litem

[Anonymous]

I agree with the crowd. There is generally no need for a GAL or a parent coordinator. On the other hand, I am also a very qualified attorney, and I would very happily switch careers to be either if my situation wasn't so stable right now. I have been very close to several divorces that have parent coordinators. Not one has done anything beneficial. I do have a close friend who has a GAL right now, but it is a very unique situation. In that instance, my friend's divorce was completed several years ago, the father is both a doctor and an addict, and he is going through a rough breakup with a woman who has just given birth to two more of his children. In this instance, there are so many parties involved (the father, my friend, the two original kids, the new baby momma and the new twins) that a GAL was necessary. This doesn't seem like your case at all.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with the crowd. There is generally no need for a GAL or a parent coordinator. On the other hand, I am also a very qualified attorney, and I would very happily switch careers to be either if my situation wasn't so stable right now. I have been very close to several divorces that have parent coordinators. Not one has done anything beneficial. I do have a close friend who has a GAL right now, but it is a very unique situation. In that instance, my friend's divorce was completed several years ago, the father is both a doctor and an addict, and he is going through a rough breakup with a woman who has just given birth to two more of his children. In this instance, there are so many parties involved (the father, my friend, the two original kids, the new baby momma and the new twins) that a GAL was necessary. This doesn't seem like your case at all.

I can only see a GAL being necessary in the most dire of cases where you need to protect your kids from a really bad parent. Even then GALs often fail.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My ex has more to lose. Just not sure if it'll ease or create more tension in the process.

You do realize that now your dc will be forced to meet and talk to lawyers, right? You want that for them? And the end result if you push this - and trust me, once a GAL is attached, they won’t mind at all if your case drags out for years as they get paid the entire time- is that your dc will have to do an ‘in camera’ with the judge, right? Such a nice childhood memory for them…

It was either that or get very very little time with them. My ex is extremely aggressive and refused to compromise in mediation. The mediator couldn't believe him. Ex has been consistently trying to take my time with the kids for the past month and has his girlfriend on it too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My ex has more to lose. Just not sure if it'll ease or create more tension in the process.

You do realize that now your dc will be forced to meet and talk to lawyers, right? You want that for them? And the end result if you push this - and trust me, once a GAL is attached, they won’t mind at all if your case drags out for years as they get paid the entire time- is that your dc will have to do an ‘in camera’ with the judge, right? Such a nice childhood memory for them…

It was either that or get very very little time with them. My ex is extremely aggressive and refused to compromise in mediation. The mediator couldn't believe him. Ex has been consistently trying to take my time with the kids for the past month and has his girlfriend on it too.

Sure there are some points where you have to pull out all the stops. The problem is naive parents who believe that everyone will automatically be on their side instead of understanding that it can all very much not go your way.