Guardian ad Litem Services
The Superior Court appoints Guardians ad Litem (GALs) in certain family law (domestic) cases where issues of visitation, custody or simply child welfare is a concern. The Court maintains a registry of GALs who have met the qualifications mandated by state law and by our own court policies. GALs are appointed a public expense if your income meets certain limitations. If you are not qualified for a county paid GAL, then you will be responsible for the costs of the Guardian ad Litem appointed in your case.
If you are in need of a Guardian ad Litem for your case, you should contact the Superior Court Clerk's Office who can assist you with getting the proper forms for the Court to make a decision on the appointment. The Clerk's Office manages the rotating list of appointments and can explain to you how that appointment process works. There is also more information about the process HERE.
You may have a GAL appointed by the Court when you appear for a temporary order hearing if the issue has not been raised before.
If you would like more information about the Guardian ad Litem program, you can find our policies listed under the Domestic Menu.
Interested in Becoming a Guardian ad Litem?
If you are interested in becoming a Guardian ad Litem for the Court, you should contact Court Administration who can give you more information on that process. There are some training requirements as well as an application process.
You may also consider becoming a CASA volunteer for our Juvenile Court Dependency proceedings. In order to apply, you should contact Cowlitz County CASA Program directly at (360)414-5212.
