Anyone had experience with a GAL

[joni]

We're in the process of starting a custody evaluation in New York.  It involves my husband's 8 y.o. daughter.  Our atty there tells us it's pretty standing to have a GAL appointed.

My concern is the alienating custodial parent.  The mother  is abusive with the child.  We have proof but she's managed to build a pretty good smoke screen to cover her abuse by acting like parent of the year around the teachers, doctors, therapist in the child's life.

Does the child meet with the GAL regularly?  The mother is coaching the child trying to make her tell lies about her father.  I'm worried that the mother will be able to manipulate the GAL against us.

What are others experience with this?  Any advice?

[Kent]

You will find plenty of horror stories here on SPARC about GAL's.
Not surprisingly so.

In many states, a GAL is a court appointed attorney, with no education whatsoever in child psychology, general psychology, and lots of personal feelings and agenda.

If the judge or other party asks for a GAL, have your atty try to slash a deal to get a custody evaluation instead of a GAL.
Custody evaluators are trained psychologists, who will find their way through the smoke screen in no time.

It's more money upfront, but in most cases you will save money in the long run.

Kent!

[gipsy]

Haveing any of these people in your life is a risk , Due the fact that who the heck would want to be involved in other people s lifes like this <
   Basically remmember this , They all hear all this crap all day long about the other parent ,

  Try to make your self out to be the best parent , And really try to be a good parent ,
  I have been through the whole process , And if you are worried about manipulation . then you are likely against a psycho , So deny her allegations , And I garuntee she will make a Big story out of a very little event , And you will hardly be able to believe it , I believe when this happens , try to evaluate if there is any proof other than hearsay , And then deny it ,
 My point is the Manipulaters can make sneezing into a crime , And you have to be ready to deny this type of stuff , It is quite shocking !
   SOO Don't get caught up into the crap , And try to stay on the positive about you and your love for the child ,
   Be prepared  Make a list of the thoings you dothat are good  parenting , And do things with your child , Projects . The zoo < what ever , But do good things , read books etc , And be ready to talk about this , Spend  time talking about the good things ,
  It's very hard to see this , But when you spend all this time trying to make the other parent look bad , They can't tell if you are  a Good parent ,If you are a good parent you will do well wich ever way the chips fall in the end , Trust Me this is fairly simple ,
   At trial My atty and her atty kept there case to what a good parent their client was ,There is very little that goes on about how bad the other parent is , And I can see why after trial , It's not a slander contest ,