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Meeting the Child
The GAL meets your child, sometimes more than once, to understand their needs, routine, and reasonable preferences.
Monday - Friday8:30AM - 5PM
OfficesFairfax | Manassas | Fredericksburg
Child Custody / Guardians ad Litem
Guardian ad Litem · Virginia
The voice for your child, and how to win their respect.
In a contested custody case, the court may appoint a Guardian ad Litem to look out for your child. The GAL's view carries real weight. Knowing what they do, and how to work with them, matters more than parents realize.
First call is a conversation, not a commitment.
The Short Answer
A Guardian ad Litem, or GAL, is an attorney the court appoints to represent the best interests of your child in a contested custody case. The GAL investigates, meets your child, and makes a recommendation to the judge. That recommendation carries real weight, so how you work with the GAL can shape the outcome of your case.
What It Actually Means
Not your lawyer, and not your enemy.
Parents often misread the GAL. The GAL is not your lawyer and not the other parent's lawyer. The GAL is the child's representative, appointed by the court to look past the adults and figure out what arrangement actually serves the child. Treating the GAL as an ally to be won, or an enemy to be beaten, both miss the point. The right approach is to be the parent the GAL can confidently recommend.
What a GAL actually does
A GAL investigates. They meet with your child, often more than once. They may visit both homes, talk to each parent, and contact teachers, doctors, and others who know the child. They review records. Then they form a view about what is best for the child and report it to the court.
How much weight the recommendation carries
The judge makes the final decision, not the GAL. But a judge gives serious attention to a GAL who has done a thorough job, because the GAL has seen things the court cannot see from the bench: the homes, the child, the daily reality. A strong GAL recommendation is hard to overcome, which is exactly why your conduct during the investigation matters.
How to work with a GAL
Be honest, be cooperative, and put your child first in everything the GAL can observe. Make your home ready when they visit. Do not coach your child or speak badly about the other parent in front of them, because GALs notice and it counts against you. Answer questions directly. The parent who looks stable, child-focused, and reasonable is the parent a GAL tends to support.
Where we come in
We help you understand the process, prepare for the home visit and the interviews, and present yourself honestly and well. We cannot script the GAL, and we would not want to. What we can do is make sure the true picture of the parent you are comes through clearly.
WhoAn attorney appointed by the court to represent the child's best interests.
DoesInvestigates, meets the child, visits homes, contacts schools and doctors, then reports.
WeightThe judge decides, but a thorough GAL recommendation carries serious weight.
Your jobBe honest, cooperative, and clearly child-focused in everything the GAL can see.
Whose Side Is The GAL On
The GAL is on the child's side, not yours and not the other parent's. The parent who understands that, and acts like it, is usually the parent the GAL ends up recommending.
Source: Virginia Code § 16.1-266 and Supreme Court of Virginia GAL standards
Alisa Chunephisal, Esq.Family Law Attorney
Attorney Insight
A few honest things about Guardians ad Litem.
"You cannot win a GAL over by performing. You win them over by being the steady, honest parent your child needs every day."
GALs have seen every act parents put on, and they see through them fast. The recommendation goes to the parent who looks the same in the home visit as they do every other day: stable, honest, and focused on the child. We help you prepare so the real picture comes through, and so a single nervous misstep does not get mistaken for something it is not.
Questions Parents Ask
Plain answers about Guardians ad Litem.
These are the questions parents ask most when a GAL is appointed. If yours is not here, call us and we will walk you through it.
Have a specific question?
Call 571.260.0999 or send us a message.
What does a Guardian ad Litem do?
A Guardian ad Litem is an attorney the court appoints to represent the best interests of your child. The GAL investigates by meeting the child, often visiting both homes, talking to each parent, and contacting people like teachers and doctors.
The GAL then makes a recommendation to the judge about what custody arrangement serves the child best.
Is the GAL on my side?
No. The GAL is on the child's side, not yours and not the other parent's. The GAL's only job is to figure out what is best for the child. The parent who understands this and acts accordingly, by being honest and child-focused, is usually the one the GAL ends up supporting.
How much weight does the GAL's recommendation carry?
The judge makes the final decision, not the GAL. But a thorough GAL recommendation carries serious weight, because the GAL has seen the child, the homes, and the daily reality the court cannot observe from the bench. A strong recommendation is hard to overcome.
How should I act around the GAL?
Be honest, cooperative, and clearly focused on your child. Make your home ready for any visit, answer questions directly, and support your child's relationship with the other parent. Do not coach your child or speak badly about the other parent, because GALs notice and it counts against you.
When You Are Ready
A GAL on your case? Let us prepare you.
Tell us where your case stands. We will help you understand the GAL process and get ready to present yourself honestly and well. Three offices across Northern Virginia, one phone number.