Program Chair:
Sarah DeKraay
Murphy Desmond, S.C.
Madison
Faculty:
Anne Marie Abell
Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee
Milwaukee
Shelly Anday, LSW
Family Court Consulting Services, LLC
Middleton
Patrick T. Arendt
Noonan Arendt LLP
Stevens Point
Marco Bichanich
Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee
Milwaukee
Comm. Barry Boline
Ozaukee County Circuit Court
Port Washington
Jennifer L. Nash Elliot
Nash Law Office
Janesville
Tiffany L. Highstrom
Stafford Rosenbaum LLP
Madison
Comm. Kelly Iselin
Walworth County Circuit Court
Elkhorn
Rob McCreadie
Connections Counseling
Madison
Comm. Elizabeth M. Pfeuffer
Kenosha County Circuit Court
Kenosha
Katherine Teague
Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee
Milwaukee
Ashley J. Richter
Richter & Phillips LLP
Madison
Comm. Cynthia Vopal
Brown County Circuit Court
Green Bay
Julie A. Whitney
Legal Aid Society of Milwaukee
Milwaukee
8:30 a.m. : Acting as a GAL: An Overview
- Guardian ad Litem Practice and Procedure
o Statutory
o Types of Cases where GAL can/must be appointed by the Court
o Duties of a Guardian ad Litem – 48.235 – Advocate for Best Interests of Ward
o GAL for minor parent in TPR – 48.235(5)
o GAL for Parent in Contested TPR
o GAL appointments are typically continued
o Miscellaneous matters where GAL may be appointed – matters involving unborn children – relatively rare
o Appeals – Wis. Stat. § 809.107(6)(e) and (d)
- Value of the Team Approach
o SWAP Responsibilities
o Value to the caretakers
o Value to the children
- Guardians ad Litem in Family Court
o Types of Cases
o When is a GAL appointed? (Wis. Stat. 767.407(1))
o Requirements of GAL in Family Court (Wis. Stat. 767.407(4))
o Evaluation of a Family Court Case
- The Impact of In Re the Marriage of Valadez and the Importance of Certified Treatment
o Waukesha County Case No. 18FA296, In re the marriage of Julie C. Valadez and Ricardo Valadez
o WIS. STAT. § 767.41(2)(d)1
o In re Marriage of Valadez, 400 Wis. 2d 523, 969 N.W.2d 770, 2022 WI App 2 (Wis. Ct. App. 2021)
o Wisconsin Batterers Treatment Provider Association (WBTPA)
o Miscellaneous
Anne Marie Abell, Marco Bichanich, Katherine Teague, Julie Whitney
9:20 a.m. : Court Commissioners Panel: Addiction and Placement
Barry Boline, Kelly Iselin, Cynthia Vopal
10:10 a.m. : Break
10:25 a.m. : Court Commissioners Panel: Mental Health, Treatment, and Placement
Barry Boline, Kelly Iselin, Cynthia Vopal
11:15 a.m. : THC and the FCC: Tips, Tricks and Takeaways for Handling Marijuana Issues
- Background and quick history of MJ legality and use
- Concerns relating to use or abuse
- THC impacts on custody, placement and support decisions and orders
- Views from the bench
- How to prep and present your position to gain favorable outcomes
Elizabeth M. Pfeuffer
12:05 p.m. : Lunch (on your own)
1:05 p.m. : Parenting Plan Evaluation/Adult Mental Health Considerations
Shelly Anday
1:55 p.m. : Children and Mental Health
Rob McCreadie
2:45 p.m. : Break
3:00 p.m. : GAL Panel: How to Uncover Addiction and Mental Health Issues
Patrick T. Arendt, Jennifer L. Nash Elliot, Tiffany L. Highstrom, Ashley J. Richter
3:50 p.m. : Program Concludes
Following program start times, webcast replay schedule will vary slightly from above listed times.
- Receive an overview of guardian ad litem practice and procedure
- Learn to recognize when a parent is struggling with mental health or addiction issues
- Make effective placement and custody recommendations to the court
- Understand how divorce, placement changes, and parental addiction impact children
- Hear insights from experienced GALs on conducting investigations
- Guardians ad litem for minors
- Family law attorneys
- Juvenile law/children’s attorneys
- Attorneys seeking GAL minor appointments
- General practitioners
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