Legal Question in Family Law in Washington

GAL report

Can you motion to strike a GAL report? I have declarations from 4 people including a behavior health director that have comment on misrepresentations in the report and are stating that she ''can't belive that someone would take a conversation and mess it up like this, and misconstrue the truth to this degree''...


Asked on 12/10/07, 5:06 pm

1 Answer from Attorneys

Elizabeth Powell ELizabeth Powell PS Inc

Re: GAL report

You can, but it may not be as helpful to move to strike the report as you think.

GAls can be a benefit or a burden to the parents. If you believe the report mischaracterizes evidence or fails to accurately appraise the Court of the situation, you can depose the GAL, or you can get another GAL.

Some GALS are not as good as others, it is true. Did you disclose your witnesses so they can testify? Do they have personal knowledge of the facts at issue? Are they willing to show up as trial witnesses?

Family law looks simple, and as though it is conducted in plain English, but that simply is not true. Dealing with an unfavorable GAL report is a very difficult thing, even for an experienced family law attorney.

This is your life and your children's future. Help is available through the King County Bar's Family Law project. Just ask. But doing it yourself is like trying to do your own appendectomy.

Hope this helps. Elizabeth Powell

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Answered on 12/10/07, 6:52 pm


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