Rule 39.02 Duties

A guardian ad litem is a person the court appoints to look out for someone in a case, usually a witness or a person who says they were a victim. This rule says the court decides exactly what the guardian ad litem's job will be. There is no fixed list of duties that applies to every case.

Instead, the judge spells out on the record what the guardian ad litem is allowed to do and what they are responsible for. This means the role can look different from case to case, depending on what the person needs and what the judge thinks is best for protecting their interests. Anyone involved in a case with a guardian ad litem should pay attention to the judge's specific instructions, since those instructions define the guardian ad litem's actual authority and responsibilities.