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Guardians Ad Litem and Children's Attorneys in Arizona: A Qualitative Examination of the Roles
Author(s) -
Duchschere Jennifer E.,
Beck Connie J.,
Stahl Rebecca M.
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
juvenile and family court journal
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.155
H-Index - 19
eISSN - 1755-6988
pISSN - 0161-7109
DOI - 10.1111/jfcj.12093
Subject(s) - child safety , qualitative research , perception , best interests , distress , psychology , legal guardian , law , political science , sociology , clinical psychology , engineering , social science , structural engineering , neuroscience
An ongoing debate exists with little research support concerning the differences in the roles of guardians ad litem (GAL) and children's attorneys (CA) in dependency cases. Through qualitative interviews, this study examined GALs’ and CAs’ perceptions and execution of roles. Both executed their roles similarly and agreed the best interests of the child and the child's wishes are important. Shared goals included child safety, ensuring the child's voice is heard, keeping the family together, and minimizing the distress to the child. Challenges to executing their roles were often systemic, including overwhelmed courts and lack of community resources to serve clients’ needs.