Program Chair:
Sarah DeKraay
Murphy Desmond S.C.
Madison
Presenters:
Shelly Anday, LSW
Family Court Consulting Services
Middleton
Comm. Christopher Bailey
Waukesha County Circuit Court
Waukesha
Comm. Shane W. Falk
Jefferson County Circuit Court
Jefferson
Comm. Mark R. Fremgen
Dane County Circuit Court
Madison
Katherine C. Harrell
Stafford Rosenbaum LLP
Madison
Stacie H. Rosenzweig
Halling & Cayo, S.C.
Milwaukee
Jolene D. Schneider
Remley Law, S.C.
Neenah
Megan M. Stoltz
Stoltz Law Office LLC
Monona
Sara M. Vanden Brook
The Law Center S.C.
Madison
Hon. Thomas J. Walsh
Brown County Circuit Court
Green Bay
8:30 a.m. The Rules of Evidence in Family Court
- The Rules of Evidence do apply
- Tips for specific types of evidence to be admitted
Hon. Thomas J. Walsh
9:30 a.m. Break
9:45 a.m. Acting as GAL: Tough Cases and Best Practices
- Enforcement of Placement Orders with Older Children
- Substantial changes in circumstance issues
- Practical appointment issues and solutions
- Learned lessons in high conflict cases
Katherine C. Harrell, Jolene D. Schneider, Megan M. Stoltz, Sara M. Vanden Brook
11:15 a.m. Topic - TBD
12:05 p.m. Lunch (on your own)
1:15 p.m. Custody Study and Evaluations: What value do these add to family law cases?
- Things that happen in a custody study
- Differences between a custody study and an evaluation
- Things that evaluators are looking for
- Relying on the study as a GAL
Shelly Anday
2:05 p.m. Break
2:20 p.m. What Family Court Commissioners Want (and don’t want) from a GAL
- Evidence presented before a Family Court Commissioner
- Reports regarding best interest factors
- When a GAL should meet with a ward
- How GALs are assigned in different counties
Comm. Christopher Bailey, Comm. Shane W. Falk, Comm. Mark R. Fremgen
3:20 p.m. Trending Ethical Issues for Guardians ad Litem
- Conflicts of Interest
o Best interest of the ward versus wishes of the ward
o GALs serving in multiple roles
- Confidentiality
o Mandatory versus discretionary reporting
o Third party participation in investigational meetings
- Investigational Scope, Competency, and Professionalism
- Communication with Represented and Unrepresented Parties
Stacie H. Rosenzweig, Megan M. Stoltz
4:10 p.m. Program Concludes
- Approach GAL appointments with a stronger understanding of your ethical duties
- Anticipate evidentiary issues before hearings and present recommendations supported by the record
- Evaluate custody studies and professional evaluations more effectively when forming recommendations about a child’s best interests
- Understand how family court commissioners assess GAL reports, testimony, and courtroom conduct
- Gain practical strategies for managing high-conflict cases and other challenging circumstances
- Learn from real experiences shared by practicing GALs so you can avoid common mistakes
- Guardians ad litem
- Family lawyers
- Family court commissioners
- seeking GAL appointments
Book Bonus!
The Guardian ad Litem Handbook
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*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.