Rule 12 Attorneys for Guardians Ad Litem

If a guardian ad litem hires a lawyer to help with their work on a case, the judge has the power to decide who pays for that lawyer. The judge can order one or both sides in the case to cover the guardian ad litem's attorney's fees and any related costs.

This is not automatic. The judge looks at the situation and decides whether charging these fees makes sense. The amount also has to be reasonable, meaning the court will not approve fees that seem too high for the work done.

For families going through a custody or family court case, this means you could end up responsible for paying not just your own lawyer, but possibly part of the cost for the guardian ad litem's attorney too, if the judge decides that is fair.