Adult Guardian ad Litem Training 2026

  • Webcast seminar
  • OnDemand seminar
  • Attorney Regulation
  • Elder Law
Up to 6.0 Credit Hours
View schedule and faculty
Adult Guardian ad Litem Training 2026

Co-produced with the Elder Law & Special Needs Section of the State Bar of Wisconsin

GAL training for real GAL work

Adult guardian ad litem (GAL) work requires careful judgment at every stage of a case and asks GALs to address difficult questions involving personal rights, liberty, and safety. Add in ethics concerns, family disputes, and the need to coordinate with trustees and agencies, and even experienced lawyers can find themselves double-checking the next step.

Make the right call

Adult Guardian ad Litem Training 2026 gives you practical, Wisconsin-specific guidance on the issues that make GAL work demanding, the procedural steps that must be followed, and the overlapping responsibilities that can complicate a case.

8:30 am
Guardianship Basics Scenarios

Abbey K. Bowen, Vicki Davis Davila, Sara K. Micheletti

  • Interactive roleplay will explore:
    o Initial guardianships from beginning to end
    o Initial Guardianship
    o Watts Review
    o Protective Placement
    o Completing forms and setting up files
    o Deciding who to talk to
    o County to County differences
10:10 am
Break
10:25 am
Guardianship and Special Needs Trusts

Kristi L. Papez, Mary Till

  • Purpose of a special needs trust, and duty of trustee
  • Authority to create a special needs trust
  • What a special needs trust can and cannot do
  • Coordination between trustee/guardian/ward/beneficiary
11:15 am
Guardianship Advocacy and Legislative Update

Zach Gebert, Polly Shoemaker

  • Overview of next-of-kin legislation
  • Reintroducing Wisconsin WINGS
  • Legislative and policy updates
12:05 pm
Lunch (on your own)
1:10 pm
Disability, Incompetency, and the Right to Vote

Lisa Hassenstab, Polly Shoemaker

  • Overview of rights and resources for Wisconsin voters with disabilities
  • Guardianship, voting, and considerations for GALs:
    o Initial determinations
    o Reinstatement of the right
    o Support for voters under guardianship
2:00 pm
Ethics

Jessica A. Liebau, Blaine Patiño

  • Conflicts of interest (SCR 20:1.7, SCR 20:1.9)
  • Scope of Representation when the client is “best interest” (SCR 20:1.2 and EF-23-02)
  • Navigating Family Quagmires, He Said/She Said, Injunctions, and More
2:50 pm
Program Concludes

Program Chair & Presenter

Jessica A. Liebau
Wessels & Liebau LLC · Mequon

Presenters

9 total
Abbey K. Bowen
Wessels & Liebau LLC · Mequon
Victoria Davis Davila
Davis & Pledl S.C. · Milwaukee
Zach Gebert
Corporate Guardians, Inc · Two Rivers
Lisa Hassenstab
Disability Rights Wisconsin · Madison
Sara K. Micheletti
McCarty Law LLP · Appleton
Kristi L. Papez
Wispact, Inc. · Madison
Blaine Patiño
Canellos & Patiño LLC · Wauwatosa
Polly Shoemaker
Greater Wisconsin Agency on Aging Resources · Madison
Mary Till
Life Navigators · Wauwatosa

Sponsored by

Interested in becoming a Certified Paralegal? Find out more.

State Bar of WI Certified Paralegal

Interested in sponsoring this program? Find out more.

  • Hone your skills in adult guardian ad litem cases from appointment to payment
  • Make more effective recommendations in cases involving protective placement and continued oversight
  • Communicate more effectively with courts, families, and care providers
  • Address questions about voting rights with a better understanding of the remedies available
  • Effectively handle overlapping guardianship, special needs trusts, and care-planning issues
  • Work through ethical and familial challenges with a more informed approach
  • Come away with practical tools and clearer instincts for the everyday demands of GAL practice
  • Guardians ad litem for adults
  • Family lawyers
  • Elder law attorneys
  • Civil rights lawyers
  • Attorneys looking to take GAL appointments
  • Experienced GALs seeking a refresher

Book Bonus!

Guardianship and Protective Placement for Older Adults in Wisconsin
Save 15% on the Guardianship and Protective Placement for Older Adults in Wisconsin.* Find clear guidance on Wisconsin guardianships, protective services, and protective placement, along with practice-ready checklists to help you approach each matter thoroughly and responsibly. Use discount code CA3962 when you order online or by calling (800) 728-7788.

*Discount applies to both print and digital Books Unbound editions of this title and cannot be applied to previous purchases. Offer valid through 12/31/27. For Books Unbound users, discount may be applied to purchase of individual Books Unbound title only and may not be used on the purchase of libraries. Discount cannot be combined with any other offers.