Guardian ad Litem or Attorney for the Child?

The Family Law Prof Blog yesterday issued the following post, which in discussing a recent Iowa appellate case also pointed to several other useful sources that explore some issues regarding the appropriate roles of, and distinctions that should be made between, guardians ad litem, appointed by courts to investigate issues in custody and abuse and neglect cases, and lawyers appointed to represent

Natural Parents, De Facto Parents, Psychological Parents, and Confusion in the Courts

Natural parents get custody of their children if they are fit parents. It's a pretty simple rule, and it is a basic rule of family law. But sometimes even the judges get confused on this one.I just read the post West Virginia Mother Wins Back Legal Custody From … Babysitters in the Florida Divorce Law Blog, which described an unusual West Virginia Supreme Court case (for more, see the West